Kuwait travel sector ‘unfazed’ by Omicron, recovery to continue

Kuwait travel sector ‘unfazed’ by Omicron, recovery to continue

By Sajeev K Peter

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s travel industry remains largely unfazed in the face of the new Omicron coronavirus variant and continues on its path to full recovery from the devastating effect of the pandemic that has paralyzed the world for almost two years, local industry experts said. “There were some initial concerns and panic in the industry. We had some sudden cancellations of bookings as well. But concerns about the potential effect of the new variant lasted only for two days, and everything has become normal now,” said Anasuddin Azeez, a travel professional working at a travel agency in downtown Kuwait.

The new variant ignited concerns around the world and triggered new travel bans after it was detected in South Africa. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union announced almost immediate travel bans from South Africa and other southern African nations. Kuwait’s government also warned citizens against non-essential travel and suspended direct flights from nine African countries following the detection of the variant.

“It was much ado about nothing. The fear over the ‘dubious’ Omicron variant was unwarranted. The virus may be fast-spreading, but we haven’t heard any report of mortalities from the virus yet. We need to