Non-scary tourism

I spent my weekend at a resort, resting after a stressful turn of events in the past month. But to tell you frankly, I had apprehensions when I was told we were going to a resort. It meant being in a public place, with many people. Now that the quarantine status was downgraded to modified general community quarantine, the protocols have been relaxed. I wasn't quite relaxed at that time when we went there.

I eased up a bit when the guard asked for us basic information for the health declaration card. Our temperatures were checked, too, as part of protocol. When we reached the front desk, sanitized pens were given out to fill out the forms and a guide helped us through as we went to our rooms. What was new inside were the free face masks and a bottle of hand sanitizer. Although we shared the same room with six others, I think the new normal of tourism isn't that scary at all.

The pool was one of the areas that had a lot of people. I thought I was going to panic again, but the lifeguard on duty made sure that there were only a few people in the pool by giving out only limited towels. The pool was cleaned every now and then. Of course, social distancing was observed and monitored as well.

For a person like me who was so skeptical about finally opening up tourism, I guess what the Department of Tourism has done is effective enough to stop the spread of COVID-19. It is time to get rid of the apprehensions and the fears that we have in us. Although it is natural to feel concerned about our own safety and others as well, taking a risk might be worth it in the long run. I did enjoy my dips to the pool and the beach, the non-buffet breakfast but with great company and the whole weekend stay. Especially now that the tourism industry is trying hard to catch up at the lost income, they are selling room rates at discounted prices.

It is a unique experience that might not be tried in the long run, especially if foreign tourists will be coming in. The local rates are affordable and worth a try. While MGCQ has a mandatory stay-at-home policy for children and senior citizens, it wouldn't hurt to let them out for a while to breathe fresh air though. We are slowly moving forward and COVID is slowly becoming part of our lives. This is a part which we must accept if we want to move forward.

The days of being scared should be gone by now, but that doesn't mean that we should let our guard down. Day by day we strive to move back into the vibrancy of our economy by not jeopardizing health and other concerns.