Injury to int’l tourism in 2020 estimated at $1.three tril. amid pandemic

The loss of revenue in the international tourism sector in 2020 caused by a decline in cross-border travelers is estimated at $ 1.3 trillion, due to strict travel bans imposed by countries as part of the coronavirus pandemic, shared a UN organization with.

Last year’s international arrivals were down a billion, or 74 percent, from 2019, which ensures that the total estimated damage post-global financial crisis was more than 11 times higher than in 2009, a specialized agency of the United Nations, according to a recent press release from the World Tourism Organization.

A street in Kyoto, western Japan, is practically empty on December 28, 2020. (Kyodo)

Due to the economic consequences of the virus spread, 100 to 120 million people are at risk of losing their jobs in the tourism industry, according to the Madrid-based organization. Many of them were from small and medium-sized companies.

“Global tourism suffered its worst year in existence in 2020,” the agency, also known as UNWTO, said in the press release, citing an “unprecedented decline in demand and widespread travel restrictions” to prevent the virus from spreading further.

By region, Europe saw the largest decline in absolute numbers. Overseas arrivals were down 500 million or 70 percent year on year. Meanwhile, the countries in Asia and the Pacific fell by 300 million, which is the largest decline at 84 percent.

On a percentage basis, the Middle East and Africa followed with a drop of 75 percent each, while North and South America saw a decline of 69 percent.

For the year 2021, a survey by the UNWTO panel of experts found that 45 percent of those questioned predicted an improvement in the situation, while 30 percent predicted a deterioration according to the press release. The remaining 25 percent expected performance similar to 2020.

The survey also found that 43 percent believe the tourism industry will return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, with 41 percent saying it will do so in 2024 or later.

The UNWTO believes that the “phasing in of a COVID-19 vaccine” will rebound consumer sentiment and ease travel restrictions, making travel relatively normal in 2021, albeit slowly.

“Although much has been done to enable safe international travel, we are aware that the crisis is far from over,” said Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General of the UNWTO.

“Harmonizing, coordinating and digitizing travel-related COVID-19 risk mitigation measures, including testing, tracing and vaccination certificates, are essential to promoting safe travel and preparing for tourism recovery as soon as conditions permit,” added the boss the agency.

Since it was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, the virus has spread worldwide, causing over 105 million cases of infection and more than 2.3 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.