BY ALEXANDRIA SAN JUAN
Global tourism suffered its worst year on record in 2020 as the international tourism industry lost an estimated $1.3 trillion in revenues due to the coronavirus pandemic, the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said.
In UNWTO’s report released Friday, this is more than 11 times the loss recorded during the 2009 global economic crisis.
International arrivals also plunged by at least 1 billion or 74 percent compared to 2019 because of the unprecedented fall in demand and widespread travel restrictions that put between 100 and 120 million direct tourism jobs at risk.
According to UNWTO, all world regions have been affected by the pandemic with Asia and the Pacific the first to suffer the blow with an 84 percent decline in tourist arrivals or about 300 million less than in the previous year. It is also the region with the highest level of restrictions currently in place.
The Middle East and Africa both recorded a 75 percent decrease in arrivals, followed by Europe with a 70 percent drop despite a small and short-lived revival in summer last year.
Europe also suffered the largest drop in absolute terms, with over 500 million fewer international tourists in 2020, the organization added.
International travels in the Americas also plummeted to 69 percent, following somewhat better results in the last quarter of the year.
“Due to the evolving nature of the pandemic, many countries are now reintroducing stricter travel restrictions. These include mandatory testing, quarantines, and in some cases a complete closure of borders, all weighing on the resumption of international travel,” the organization explained.
Despite strict guidelines that have been issued by various countries in making safe international travel possible, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvi said they are aware that the crisis is still “far from over. “
“The harmonization, coordination and digitalization of COVID-19 travel-related risk reduction measures, including testing, tracing and vaccination certificates, are essential foundations to promote safe travel and prepare for the recovery of tourism once conditions allow,” he added.