Views and Interviews

Mallika Kumar – IT consultant

I have braved through the first stringent lockdown and managed to survive the ones that followed. One comforting thought that surfaced in our minds was the fact that we were still safe, with at least three square meals in the comfort of our homes.

While we do have our moments of mature acceptance of the situation, it does not seem fair on the children. Because you can explain the lurking dangers of Covid up to a point - beyond that, our play-safe logic does not make any sense to them.

There are also times when we parents slip into a space where we think like children. Why can’t we just get into our cars and drive to a nearby holiday destination? Why is God doing this to us? When will things be safe to travel?

Aarti Nayak – graphic designer

In my peer group of graphic designers, we’ve done a fair amount of work in terms of helping increase awareness and underlining the importance of playing safe. And the feeling of being part of the solution instead of enlarging the problem is rewarding in itself.

From what I have seen, resorts constantly need help in planning and executing their messaging; and end customers need guidelines that are specific to their stay at the resort. What resorts also need to do (in addition to play-safe messaging) is bring down levels of anxiety, confusion and fear.

I think we live in a new and changing world where the goal post keeps shifting every single day. What we CAN do today, we MAY NOT be able to do tomorrow - so we need to plan for the worst scenarios (not being pessimistic here) and relish moments when things are not so bad.

There goes another holiday out of the window.

Gauri Srinivasan – investment advisor

As investment advisors, we normally include a margin for deviations in our advisory process. And with Covid-19 hitting our shores, we additionally add a rider about some things are beyond our control.

Now flip that logic with what our resort owners could be telling us, when they say that some things are beyond their control. As a responsible professional I would see things from their point of view – they probably have bigger challenges than we do. (Grey, monstrous clouds hovering over their properties that literally threaten to submerge all plans for the months to come.)

So, here’s me giving them a huge shout-out for the work they are doing – I know what it takes to set things in order. Please stay safe and take care.

Watch this space for more updates from vacation seekers

In our conversations with resort owners on the AIRDA network we can see an enormous amount of effort being made to implement safety measures. Also train resort staff to align with recommended guidelines - both in their areas of work and in the living areas of guests.

Just like customers are waiting to head out on a vacation, resort owners too are waiting to welcome customers. There’s been too much quiet for too long. They want to hear guests splashing around in the waters, they want to hear laughter, and they want to see children running around. They also want to hear the clinking of glasses at their restaurants and bars.

From what we can see, there’s a glimmer of hope and a change of scene – close to a sense of freedom. Of being able to go to locations nearby where people can take short breaks and enjoy the simple pleasures of being carefree and happy. (Of course with all safety measures being followed.)

Watch this space for more conversations on this.

Images used with purchased credits from www.123rf.com