So here we are, 23rd February 2021
Unfortunately, 2020 was a disaster year of traveling in general.
So now the big question now is, where do we go from here?
First of all, vaccinations for Tourism Professionals.
Why? Well, the pandemic came to show us the true impact of the presence of travelers - from restaurants to hotels, to monuments and obviously for tour guides, which most are self-employed.
But you may ask, why vaccinations to Tourism Professionals are important?
We are not saying we are more important than Medical staff or people with chronic diseases, far from it. But we, like professors should be considered a priority on the third wave of vaccinations.
Most of the groups we work with are above 50+ hence by the time most of those tourists have had their vaccines and want to travel, we, certified guides, will still be waiting on ours.
So far Greece and the Maldives (according to Publituris) for example are doing exactly that, Greece, the main competitor of Portugal because they understand the economical importance of Tourism for their country.
Portugal itself partially understands that - The autonomous region of Madeira (yes, from where Cristiano Ronaldo is from) will be allowing vaccinated guests to arrived WITHOUT quarantine, which points to the importance and impact of tourism. Yet most certified guides won't have had their shots by then.
So, for now, hope that the Portuguese government understands the importance of us and does something sooner rather than later.
Because at the end of the day, keep in mind - Covid doesn't care about age or how healthy you are, it affects us all
