Mohammed Al-Musleh –
At a time when airlines are calling for the opening of Kuwait’s airspace according to health controls similar to some neighboring Gulf countries that were able to turn the Corona crisis into a means of profit, Kuwait was the biggest loser due to the epidemic due to the decisions to close the airport.
Among the decisions is to prevent the entry of those coming from the prohibited countries directly into Kuwait, unless they reside in an unauthorized “transit” state for 14 days, and then come to the country, to give Dubai and other countries the advantage of benefiting from travelers through “resident transit”, which is intended for thousands. .
Abdul Rahman Al-Kharafi
According to Abdul Rahman Al-Kharafi, a member of the Federation of Tourism and Travel Offices, who revealed to Al-Qabas that the economic estimates of Kuwait’s losses due to “residents’ transit” will amount to about 100 million dinars.
Al-Kharafi said, “This money could have been pumped into the aviation sector, hotels and restaurants in addition to the health sector by paying the cost of the swabs, especially since the number of residents who want to return to Kuwait reaches 160,000 residents, explaining that the cost for the individual who wants to return via a transit station is about 600 dinars. .
A member of the Federation of Tourism and Travel Offices, Abdul Rahman Al-Kharafi, revealed to Al-Qabas that Kuwait’s economic losses were heavy, as a result of health decisions preventing the entry of 34 banned countries directly into Kuwait.
Al-Kharafi announced that according to the latest statistics, the number of residents outside the country who want to return from the prohibited countries is estimated at 160,000 residents, most of whom chose Dubai as a transit station for 14 days and then return to Kuwait, explaining that the costs of tickets, hotel accommodation and transportation amount to about 600 dinars per person.
Total losses
He revealed that the total losses that affected Kuwait as a result of “residents’ transit” amounted to about 100 million dinars, including the aviation sector, tourism, hotels, restaurants, transportation and others, explaining that the decision of the health authorities caused an economic disaster and the atmosphere must be opened to restore economic activity in the country.
Al-Kharafi indicated that the lost revenues for the travel and tourism offices sector only during the period from March 14 to July 31 amount to about 28 million dinars, while the lost revenues during the period from August 1 to the end of the year are expected to be about 17.5 million dinars, so that the total losses are about 45 million dinars.
Al-Kharafi said that the economic studies were submitted at the request of the General Administration of Civil Aviation, which requested an inventory of the economic effects on the air transport sector in light of the repercussions of the emerging “Corona” epidemic, and requested a table of lost revenues during the current year.
The Coronavirus pandemic has led to 30% of workers being laid off, while the costs incurred by the sector to cover expenses amounted to about 32 million dinars.
Lost revenue
Abdul Rahman Al-Kharafi mentioned that the expected revenues for the travel and tourism sector during the current year amount to about 60 million dinars, including air tickets, hotel sales and airline commission, but the crisis caused a loss of about 45 million dinars.
Rents and expenses
Al-Kharafi indicated that the costs incurred to cover the expenses of the Corona pandemic amounted to 32 million dinars, including monthly salaries for employees, rents, staff accommodation, landlines and the Internet, while the exceptional costs incurred to confront the pandemic, such as sterilizers, thermal cameras and medical masks, amounted to about 129 thousand dinars each Tourism and travel offices.
Closing the skies .. losses and signs
28 million dinars, the travel sector losses from March 14 to July 31
Expected losses of 17.5 million dinars for the travel sector from August 1 until the end of 2020
30% of workers are laid off in the travel and tourism sector
32 million dinars to cover the expenses of facing “Corona”
160 thousand residents are stuck … so why not benefit from them when they come directly ?!
