… says cost up to May is already three times that of the 2009 Global Economic Crisis
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has revealed that the complete lockdown imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a 98 percent fall in international tourist numbers.
This was disclosed in a statement published on the world tourism body’s website on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer provided the first comprehensive insight into the impact of the pandemic, both in tourist numbers and lost revenues, showing the cost up to May as already three times that of the 2009 Global Economic Crisis.
The Barometer also shows a 56% year-on-year drop in tourist arrivals between January and May. This translates into a fall of 300 million tourists and US$320 billion lost in international tourism receipts.
UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili warned that the drastic fall in tourism threatens the livelihood of many, adding that governments in every world region have a “dual responsibility to prioritize public health while also protecting jobs and businesses.”
“This latest data makes clear the importance of restarting tourism as soon as it is safe to do so. The dramatic fall in international tourism places many millions of livelihoods at risk, including in developing countries,” Pololikashvili said.
However, the UN specialised agency also noted signs of a gradual and cautious change in trend especially in the Northern Hemisphere and particularly following the opening of borders across the Schengen Zone of the European Union on July 1.
The statement said that while tourism is slowly returning in some destinations, the UNWTO Confidence Index has dropped to record lows, both for the evaluation of the period January-April 2020, and the prospects for May-August.
“Most members of the UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts expect international tourism to recover by the second half of 2021, followed by those who expect a rebound in the first part of next year,” it said.