Muscat – As restrictions ease and more people find the confidence to travel, hopes of tourism rebounding are rising. Until the beginning of 2022, travel restrictions, high airfares and PCR test requirements were a deterrent making most wary of travelling.

Rohit Nair, ticketing officer of Global Holidays, described the last two years as a “disaster” for the travel industry. “Now with the restrictions eased, we are seeing a spike in ticket sales and travel. It is easy for families now; lifting restrictions has resulted in lower cost of travel.”

Vinod Raghavan, who has been on a two-month vacation in India, is set to return this week. “I waited for two years to see my family before this visit. It’s a blessing now that Oman has removed all travel-related measures.”

The restrictions and requirements added significantly to the cost of travel, Raghavan noted. “Besides the cost factor, the whole process was time consuming, requiring waiting for test results and queuing up at airports.”

Mustafa Rahim recalls the anxious time he had when he was compelled to travel to Karachi on an emergency at the height of the pandemic. “It was a mess, besides the fear of getting infected. There were no direct flights, so I had to go via Sharjah. What made matters worse was the fact that my PCR test result did not come on time. I had to call several people to get it sorted out.”

Rahim also vividly remembers the cumbersome paperwork and long queues while returning to Oman. “I stood for over four hours to get my PCR test done. And then spend on hotel quarantine too. It’s such a relief all that is over.”

Although Oman has done away with the requirement of furnishing vaccination proof, some countries continue to have checks in place. The Indian government requires submission of an online self-declaration form (Air Suvidha) with proof of vaccination.

“The form is not that complicated, but it is annoying to fill so many details,” said salesman Shakeb Aiyaz.

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