A total of 72 per cent decrease has been marked in the number of international arrivals during the ten first months of 2020, due to travel restrictions and other bans imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, marking one of the worst years in the history of the tourism industry, the latest report of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reads.
UNWTO’s report has stressed that destinations had 900 million fewer international passengers between January and October, compared to the same period last year, which means a loss of US$ 935 billion in export revenues from international tourism, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
As for the number of international arrivals in European countries, there has been a total of 68 percent decline, during the first ten months of 2020.
82 per cent decrease has been marked in the number of arrivals in Asia and the Pacific during the first ten months of this year, making these territories the most affected ones from the coronavirus pandemic.
Regarding UNWTO’s figures for September and October, Europe registered a slight decrease of 72 percent and 76 percent, compared to other regions worldwide.
The coronavirus pandemic situation has pushed many countries in Europe to reintroduce their travel restrictions; however, many European countries, particularly among Schengen Zone Member Countries, have relaxed such restrictions for fellow EU travellers.
World Tourism Organization Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili stressed that since the beginning of the pandemic, UNWTO had provided authorities and businesses with trusted data revealing the unprecedented impact of the coronavirus on global tourism.
“Even as the news of a vaccine boosts traveller confidence, there is still a long road to recovery. We thus need to step up our efforts to safely open borders while supporting tourism jobs and businesses. It is ever clearer that tourism is one of the most affected sectors by this unprecedented crisis,” the statement reads.
Based on the current report, UNWTO expects the number of international arrivals to decrease by 70 percent to 75 percent for the whole of 2020.
If so, the global tourism sector would be brought back to the levels of 30 years ago, with 1 million fewer arrivals and “a loss of some US$ 1.1 trillion in international tourism receipts.”
The decrease in the tourism industry due to COVID-19 pandemic could result in a loss of US$ 2 trillion in world GDP.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) previously stressed that a total of 174 million persons risk losing their jobs by the end of 2020 if countries worldwide do not lift their imposed travel restrictions.
