2020 is Worst Yr in Tourism Historical past

Global tourism suffered the worst year on record in 2020. According to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international arrivals fell by 74%.

According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, the collapse in international travel is an estimate Loss of $ 1.3 trillion in export earnings – more than 11 times the loss recorded during the 2009 global economic crisis. The crisis has intervened 100 and 120 million jobs in direct tourism are at riskMany of them in small and medium-sized companies.

Because of the evolving nature of the pandemic, it is now many countries Reintroduction of stricter travel restrictions. These include mandatory testing, quarantines and, in some cases, a complete closure of borders that weigh on resumption of international travel. At the same time, the gradual introduction of a COVID-19 vaccine should help restore consumer confidence, help to relax travel restrictions and slowly normalize travel in the coming year.

UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Although much has been done to enable safe international travel, we recognize that the crisis is far from over. Harmonizing, coordinating and digitizing travel-related COVID-19 risk mitigation measures, including test, traceability and vaccination certificates, are essential to promoting safe travel and preparing the recovery of tourism as soon as conditions permit. “

The recovery prospects remain cautious

The latest survey by the UNWTO panel of experts shows mixed prospects for 2021. Almost half of respondents (45%) would like better prospects for 2021 compared to last year, while 25% expect a similar performance and 30% expect results to deteriorate in 2021 .

The total The prospects for a rebound in 2021 appear to have worsened. 50% of the respondents now do not expect a recovery until 2022, compared with 21% in October 2020. The remaining half of the respondents still see a potential recovery in 2021, which is below the expectations of the October 2020 survey (79% expect a recovery) in 2021). If tourism starts again, the UNWTO panel of experts reckons with growing demand Open air and nature tourism Activities where inland tourism and the “slow travel” experience are growing in interest.

When do you expect international tourism to recover in your country?

Looking ahead, most experts do not see a return to prepandemic levels before 2023. In fact, 43% of respondents point to 2023, while 41% do not expect a return to 2019 levels until 2024 or later. The UNWTO’s expanded scenarios for 2021-2024 show that this is possible take two and a half to four years for international Tourism return to 2019 levels.

When do you expect international tourism in your country to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2019?

All affected world regions

Asia and the Pacific (-84%) – the first region to be hit by the pandemic and the region with the highest travel restrictions currently – saw the largest drop in arrivals in 2020 (300 million fewer). Both the Middle East and Africa saw a 75% decrease.

Europe saw a 70% drop in arrivals in summer 2020 despite a small and short-lived revival largest absolute declineWith over 500 million fewer international tourists in 2020. In the Americas, international arrivals fell 69% after slightly better results in the last quarter of the year.

For a complete overview of the latest global, regional and subregional data, visit UNWTO World Tourism Barometer and the UNWTO Tourism Recovery Tracker.