As the tourism industry gets ready to welcome back visitors including those on cruise ships, the vaccination status of employees, taxi and tour operators has become the focus of concern.
President of the SVG Hotel and Tourism Association Kim Halbich said several members are facing strong push back from their staff to get vaccinated despite informative sessions held to educate them on the vaccines.
Halbich said that a decision on whether to let go of unvaccinated employees will depend on the public and private sector coming together, however it would not be ideal for many businesses.
Speaking on the recent decision to only allow vaccinated taxi operators to operate out of the Argyle International Airport, Halbich said if the mandate is given for hoteliers and other operators in the industry to do the same, they will follow suit, noting that guests are also asking to deal with fully vaccinated staff.
The president of the Hotel and Tourism Association reiterated the importance of getting vaccinated and its impact on the industry.