Startup Guide Issue 18 | Page 13

ANE E QA AL I - F OUNDE R MADHATTE RS The Mad Hat t er s i s an exper i ent i al t r avel company f or advent ur e s eeker s , r i s k t aker s and avi d expl or er s l ooki ng f or oppor t uni t i es t o get out of t he dai l y gr i nd, and j our ney i nt o s ome of t he l es s expl or ed ar eas of Paki s t an f or a r i ch cul t ur al exper i ence. How has t he cur r ent COVI D- 19 s i t uat i on af f ect ed your bus i nes s ?   T our i s m i s one of t he wor s t hi t i ndus t r i e s g l oba l l y be c a us e of COVI D- 19. Al l of our t our s s c he dul e d f or t he ne xt f e w mont hs ha d t o be c a l l e d of f due t o t he pr e v a l e nt c i r c ums t a nc e s . M a n y e s t a bl i s he d a i r l i ne s , hot e l s a nd t our i s m c ompa ni e s a r e now he a de d t owa r ds ba nk r upt c y . The y a r e a c t i v e l y l a y i ng pe opl e of f t o r e ma i n a f l oa t i n t hi s unpr e di c t a bl e s c e na r i o, whi c h ba s i c a l l y ha s no e nd i n s i g ht . Ev e n one of our pa r t ne r c ompa ni e s i n Aus t r a l i a t ha t ha s ope r a t i ons i n 120+ c ount r i e s wor l dwi de ha d t o ma k e ma s s i v e r e dunda nc i e s t hr oug hout t he or g a ni z a t i on. T our i s m i ndus t r y ha s be e n a f f e c t e d di r e c t l y be c a us e of t hi s l oc k down, but t hi s r i ppl e e f f e c t i s e v e nt ua l l y g oi ng t o ha v e a n i mpa c t on e v e r y t hi ng . P e opl e a l l ov e r t he wor l d ha v e ba s i c a l l y s wi t c he d t o s ur v i v a l mode , a nd wi l l not be pur c ha s i ng a n y t hi ng ot he r t ha n t he ba s i c ne c e s s i t i e s of l i f e f or a whi l e now. Thi s me a ns t ha t e v e n i f we a r e s ome how a bl e t o mi r a c ul ous l y f i nd a c ur e t o t hi s pa nde mi c , i t i s s t i l l g oi ng t o t a k e a v e r y l ong t i me f or t he e c onomy t o r e c ov e r f r om a wor l dwi de r e c e s s i on.   W hat ar e you doi ng t o keep your oper at i ons up and r unni ng dur i ng t hes e t i mes ?   We ha v e s t a r t e d t o wor k r e mot e l y a nd a r e f oc us i ng a l l of our e ne r g i e s on c omi ng up wi t h a s ui t a bl e bus i ne s s s t r a t e g y f or t he pos t COVI D- 19 wor l d, i n or de r t o be a bl e t o r e s pond a s s oon a s t he ma r k e t s t a r t s t o pi c k up . T hi s y e a r l ook e d pr omi s i ng f or t he r e v i v a l of t he t our i s m i ndus t r y of Pa k i s t a n a f t e r s uc h a l ong pe r i od of unr e s t , wi t h a r e c or d hi g h n umbe r of f or e i g ne r s v i s i t i ng t he c ount r y . The a i r l i ne s , hot e l s a nd t our ope r a t or s we r e f ul l y book e d f or t he upc omi ng bl os s om t our s i n t he ne xt f e w mont hs .   We a l s o t houg ht t ha t The Ma d Ha t t e r s i s a l l s e t f or t hi s y e a r , wi t h our e v e nt c a l e nda r l oc k e d i n wi t h t our s book e d i n a dv a nc e f or t he e nt i r e 2020 a s we l l a s 2021. Nobody i n t he i r wi l de s t dr e a ms woul d ha v e i ma g i ne d t ha t t he wor l d woul d c ome t o a s t a nds t i l l l i k e t hi s a l l of a s udde n.