Coronavirus travel restrictions affect everything from the IPL to NRIs on vacation

• The impact of the coronavirus may become more pronounced as India shut down its borders.
• The fate of the Indian Premier League hangs in the balance with 60% of players are scheduled to arrive from overseas.
• Non-resident Indians on vacations are grappling with their choice to either risk flying out or having their visa expires.
• Airlines are offering flight fares at dirt-cheap prices in a desperate attempt to sell some seats.

India’s Ministry of Health issued a new travel advisory late last night, March 12, suspended all visas till April 15. NRIs on vacation are stranded, airline stocks are tanking and the country’s most-watched sporting event of the year — the Indian Premier League (IPL) — might be postponed.

Locking down borders may seem like a good idea to contain the virus, but it isn’t what is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). There’s no restriction on Indians going back and forth, but the government advises against it. On returning to India, passengers may be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days.

The suspension of visas will leave many stranded in the throes of uncertainty and a difficult choice to make.

IPL in trouble
The IPL is India’s top sporting event. Last year, the cricketing tournament broke viewership records with Star India clocking 462 million viewers on their network. The reach of the tournament was up by 12% in comparison to 2018.



However, it’s unlikely that history will repeat itself. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and IPL teams are currently mulling over their options. They can either play the matches behind closed doors — like Spain is doing with La Liga in Spain and Germany with Bundesliga. Else, they can postpone the event altogether.

The second option seems more likely since 60% of IPL’s recruits were supposed to arrive from overseas, and they all have business visas — now suspended by the Indian government.


The final decision will likely be announced on March 14 when the Governing Council is set to meet in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s state government has already banned the sale of IPL cricket matches at Wankhede Stadium. “The move is more of a precaution to stop the virus from spreading,” a government source told TOI.

Stranded NRIs in India and Indians stranded abroad
Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) on long vacations are stuck in an awkward position. Even though it’s not advisable to travel, their visa rules might not leave them with a choice.

Qatar, which has banned the entry of passengers from India and 13 other countries, has put a few NRIs in a tight spot. Its visa rules state that foreigners with residency permits are not permitted to remain outside the country for more than six months continuously.


Indian nationals abroad have also been asked to avoid travelling back to India. Expats in countries with high migrant populations like the UAE, Singapore and Italy can be quarantined for 14 days on arrival.

Markets see red
The travel and tourism, already in the midst of a slowdown, may have to hang in there a little longer. In January, foreign tourist arrivals rose by a mere 1.3% — the lowest the industry has seen in a decade.

After the announcement, SpiceJet’s shares fell by as much as 19% and InterGlobe Aviation, IndiGo’s parent company, saw its stock dip by 10%.


Hotel stocks like Lemon Tree Hotels and Indian Hotels, owned by Tata, also look a nose-dive. Lemon Tree fell by as much as 19.5% and Indian Hotels by 12.4%.



When flying away isn’t an option
Airlines are struggling to keep up with the number of ticket cancellations on the rise. It’s good news for those still daring to travel since flight fares are on the verge of hitting all-time lows — even on routes that generally see high traffic.

With the government’s suspension of visas, Air India is likely to be the worst hit with the largest share of international flights. In order to recover some of the losses, airlines — including Air India — are offering to reschedule flights without any penalty to a later date.

Others, like Air Asia and SpiceJet, are running campaigns in a desperate attempt to sell seats. International flight tickets are going for as little as ₹3,079 for travel dates up to 1 July 2021.


Domestic travel’s taken a hit as well. A last-minute ticket from Mumbai to Delhi is currently as cheap as ₹5,000.


According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the impact of Covid-19 on the aviation industry will be at least $63 billion — with the potential to escalate to $113 billion — in 2020.

“We reiterate our call to all countries not to impose restrictions inconsistent with the International Health Regulations,” WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told the organisation’s executive board

“Such restrictions can have the effect of increasing fear and stigma, with little public health benefit,” he added.

See also:
Coronavirus travel ban: India on lockdown till April 15

Track how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting your travel plans and flights

Coronavirus in India: Airports are spraying sanitizer, calling in doctors, and screening international passengers to keep the outbreak under control