With many countries implementing strict lockdown and quarantine protocols during the coronavirus outbreak, the travel industry has been heavily affected. Many luxury hotels around the world have had most of their bookings cancelled overnight, leaving the industry as a whole struggling to survive. Here are some ways that luxury resorts and hotels around the world have adapted to meet the changing dynamics during this pandemic.
The Maldives
The Maldives is an area that primarily relies on tourism for income, but has been taking coronavirus seriously. The Maldives minister of tourism explained in a press release that they are using 10 resort locations to hold quarantined visitors. Some of these locations were previously abandoned resorts that were quickly renovated to provide accommodations, while others are active resorts that currently do not have many guests and were happy to get involved.
Australia
Australia has recently enacted emergency restrictions that require incoming travelers to go through a 14-day quarantine before allowing them entry to the country. For most people, this inconvenience has turned into a bit of a vacation. As traveler Veronica McCluskey explains, her group of quarantined fliers had been put up at the Rydges Hotel South Bank, where they stayed in suites and had food delivered from the hotel’s restaurants and kitchen.
Jordan
In Jordan, new arrivals had to self-isolate in hotels for a few weeks before further self-isolation at home. 23 four- and five-star hotels in Amman and dozens of resorts by the Dead Sea were used to hold incoming travelers. Though the people were not allowed to leave their rooms, they had television and other entertainment and could check out the stunning views from their balconies. Many made friends with their neighbors as they chatted from balcony to balcony.
San Francisco
Most nations using hotels for quarantined people started doing this due to government plans. However, in San Francisco, hotels actually submitted proposals to house quarantined people. These hotels needed to be ADA compliant and have adequate ventilation to reduce disease spread. In return, the city will pay $213 per day for rooms with sick patients and $79 per day to hold open empty rooms.