From Antigua, Alexia Delphis, director of the local agency Kayala Voyage, member of the Nomadays collective, shares her professional daily life and the tourism situation in Guatemala during the coronavirus crisis.
"The atmosphere is strange in the streets of Antigua. The families strolling through Parque Central have been replaced by police patrols"
Silent Antigua as Holy Week approaches
The atmosphere is strange in the streets of Antigua, usually bustling with street vendors, locals dressed in Mayan colors, many national and foreign visitors… The families strolling through Parque Central (the main square, the heart of the city) have been replaced by police patrols. As Holy Week approached, Antigua was preparing to enter its busiest tourist season. Everything was ready. Every house was decorated with purple flags…
But this year there will be no alfombras, these famous ephemeral carpets made of colored sawdust, true works of art that adorn the cobbled streets before the processions. A blow to all sectors of activity, and especially to the tourism sector which was the first to be impacted, right in the middle of peak season.
Quick and strict health measures
Very quickly, the government took preventive measures to combat the spread of the virus, being one of the first countries in the Americas to close its borders to nationals from countries considered at risk. At the same time, the USA was taking identical measures, even for transit passengers.
As an agency, we found ourselves facing, within a matter of days, the cancellation of upcoming tours and the management of travelers already on site whose return flights were canceled. More than two weeks after entry restrictions, French nationals were repatriated on a direct flight, on Monday, March 30, under optimal conditions.
Little by little, the country implemented increasingly strict measures: closure of non-food businesses, implementation of a curfew from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m., limited market hours, and prohibition of travel between departments. These measures have today resulted in a (officially) relatively low number of people infected with Covid-19, but they are far from without consequence in a country where more than half the population lives below the poverty line and has no savings.
Solidarity initiatives are being put in place such as the collection and distribution of basic necessities for the most isolated communities. Logistics remain complicated given circulation restrictions. The government has set up an aid system for the most disadvantaged families, but this is far from sufficient.
"Maintain the spirit of the Guatemalan people, who, despite suffering linked to their history, have remained strong, supportive and positive"
Our daily life as a local agency
As a small agency, we are in a process of reducing fixed costs. We therefore chose to close our offices so as not to impact our teams. We are working remotely and actively concentrating on developing new tours, internal tools and communication initiatives.
We are in constant contact with our service providers: guides and drivers who found themselves without work overnight. For the first time, we find ourselves without a medium-term vision.
But we remain positive and focus on what we can do today, concretely: be supportive, respect guidelines to preserve our health and that of others, maintain the spirit of the Guatemalan people, who, despite suffering linked to their history, have remained strong, supportive and positive.
And after?
Like all tourism stakeholders, we must face unanswered questions: when will the borders reopen? What will be the impact on our country's economy, on airlines, on our partners?
One thing is certain, we will be ready and more motivated than ever to welcome our future travelers, show them the hidden corners of our beautiful country and promote the projects of local communities.
