Global tourism suffered its worst year in 2020, losing $1.3 trillion due to the COVID-19 pandemic measures, the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said in a statement on Thursday.
"The collapse in international travel represents an estimated loss of USD 1.3 trillion in export revenues - more than 11 times the loss recorded during the 2009 global economic crisis," the statement said.
Given the dramatic industry losses, UNWTO called the year 2020 the worst on record for global tourism. "Global tourism suffered its worst year on record in 2020, with international arrivals dropping by 74% ... Destinations worldwide welcomed 1 billion fewer international arrivals in 2020 than in the previous year, due to an unprecedented fall in demand and widespread travel restrictions," the statement said.
The UN agency also said that the crisis triggered by the pandemic put about 100-120 million direct tourism jobs at risk, mostly affecting those working in small and medium-sized enterprises.
While the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is expected to slowly normalize travel in 2021, the agency said most experts do not see a return to pre-pandemic levels taking place before 2023. "While much has been made in making safe international travel a possibility, we are aware that the crisis is far from over," UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said. Extended scenarios indicate that it can take two-and-a-half to four years to return to 2019 levels, according to UNWTO. Asia and the Pacific recorded the largest decrease in arrivals last year compared to 2019, 84 percent, followed by the Middle East and Africa both with a 75 percent decline. Europe suffered the largest drop in absolute terms with more than 500 million fewer international tourists.
Source: MAP
