2020 was 11 occasions worse for tourism than 2009 monetary disaster, finds report – Information

According to a report, 2020 was the worst year in the history of the global tourism sector. International arrivals refueled and tourism spending dried up almost completely. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international arrivals decreased by 74 percent compared to the previous year, and there were also a billion fewer international arrivals last year.

According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, the collapse in international travel means an estimated loss of $ 1.3 trillion in export revenue – more than 11 times the loss recorded during the 2009 global economic crisis. In addition, the drop in international arrivals in 2009 was only four percent – which was considered a major blow at the time.

UNTWO added that the pandemic has put between 100 and 120 million tourism jobs at risk, many of them in small and medium-sized businesses.

UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Although much has been done to make safe international travel possible, 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. ”

A worrying 30 percent of those surveyed by UNTWO believed that the situation in the industry would get worse this year. 25 percent expect similar results to last year, while 45 percent felt that this year had “better prospects” than 2020.

People’s trust has already changed slightly around 2021, and many (50 percent) now expect the industry to recover next year.

According to UNTWO, most experts do not see a return to prepandemic levels before 2023. In fact, 43 percent of respondents point to 2023, while 41 percent do not expect a return to 2019 levels until 2024 or later.

The aviation sector has come out of the first month of 2021 a little more optimistic. IATA General Director and CEO Alexandre de Juniac was a staunch critic of the way aviation professionals have handled the pandemic, but said the vaccine was the industry’s biggest hope to date.

“We can see the light at the end of the tunnel when vaccination programs are put in place,” he said. “To turn this vision into a safe and orderly restart, governments and industry must carefully plan and coordinate. This will be challenging as the priority for the coming weeks and months will include the diffusion of new varieties. ”

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