Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has become a global concern. Countries like Italy, South Korea, Germany, and many more are already on lockdown or preparing for a lockdown to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their citizens. The United States of America (USA) and Canada are preparing to close their borders to control the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
India has taken good measures to #stopthespread of coronavirus by closing public spaces, schools, colleges, hotels, and restaurants. Companies are implementing work from home policies and tracking the travel plans of their employees – all in order to keep the workplace safe from the virus. Due to this easily transmittable outbreak, many trade shows and conferences have been cancelled and postponed. ITB Berlin 2020, is one of the biggest shows that is affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
ITB Berlin 2020 cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. ITB 2020 Berlin is one of the world’s leading travel & tourism trade fairs and conventions. So, they decided to come up with something totally novel a virtual convention! There was just so much exciting news, so many opinions that were waiting to be shouted out to the entire tourism industry. Thank god for technology! ITB 2020 Berlin quickly metamorphosed into a virtual convention where the 400+ speakers shared their expert knowledge and valuable content LIVE and on-demand. Easily and freely accessible from anywhere in the world, at any time one wants. A perfect example of how nimble the hospitality industry is, at large.
The brand new ITB India, which was to consist of over 150+ speakers, 400+ exhibitors, 8000+ attendees has also been moved from April 2020 to April 2021 in order to ensure the safety of the exhibitors, buyers, and visitors from the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
So, are we going to see virtual conferences more often than as an exception? Will these ‘feel’ the same alone in front of a screen or in a headset, or will we ‘bring in’ all of the attendees in real-time as well? Plenty of food for thought in here.
Back to our main topic, with incessant information being circulated especially through social channels, it is imperative to accept and share only reliable information, so that each of us can take the necessary steps to keep ourselves and those around us safe. It is our duty now to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
#stopthespread with these tips
- Wash your hands thoroughly using soap and water for 20 seconds.
- Avoid touching face, eyes, mouth, and nose.
- Avoid contact with people who are vulnerable to contracting the disease. And if you can’t, wear a mask.
- If you have traveled from active regions, report yourself and self-quarantine immediately.
- Disinfect surfaces you regularly use.
- If you feel unwell, stay at home and call your healthcare provider.
- Only share information from trusted sources. This will prevent panic from unverified information or rumors.
It is time for us to act responsibly and socially distance ourselves to #stopthespread. Be empathetic, be sensible. Offer assistance (with precautionary measures in mind) to overcome this coronavirus outbreak together. We can. We will come out of it much better in spirit!
References:
- https://www.itb.com/VirtualConvention/
- https://www.itb-berlin.com/