According to the UN specialised agency for tourism, the pandemic outbreak will lead to 20 to 30 per cent decline in international tourist arrivals as compared to last year.

Considering the exceptional travel restrictions worldwide, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) releases the latest evaluation of Covid-19 impact on international tourism.

According to the UN specialised agency for tourism, the pandemic outbreak will lead to 20 to 30 per cent decline in international tourist arrivals as compared to last year.

“Taking into account past market trends, this would mean that between five and seven years’ worth of growth will be lost to COVID-19. Putting this into context, UNWTO notes that in 2009, on the back of the global economic crisis, international tourist arrivals declined by 4 per cent, while the SARS outbreak led to a decline of just 0.4% in 2003,” the statement said.

With the cases crossing 700,000 mark worldwide, the virus is spreading at a very fast pace and is impacting the economies exponentially day by day. The tourism sector is believed to be the hardest hit of all economies sector.

Since the beginning of the deadly virus, UNWTO has been working closely with the wider United Nations system to guide the tourism sector, issuing key recommendations for both high-level leaders and individual tourists.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said, “Tourism is among the hardest hit of all economic sectors. However, tourism is also united in helping to address this immense health emergency – our first and utmost priority – while working together to mitigate the impact of the crisis, particularly on employment, and to support the wider recovery efforts through providing jobs and driving economic welfare worldwide.”

“While it is too early to make a full assessment of the likely impact of COVID-19 on tourism, it is clear that millions of jobs within the sector are at risk of being lost. Around 80 per cent of all tourism businesses are small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the sector has been leading the way in providing employment and other opportunities for women, youth and rural communities,” he added.

UNWTO further underlines tourism’s historic resilience and capacity to create jobs after crisis situations, while also emphasizing the importance of international cooperation and of ensuring the sector is made a central part of recovery efforts.

In the coming days, UNWTO will also release a set of recommendations for recovery. The document will highlight the steps governments and other authorities need to take to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector and to then accelerate recovery.

To better consolidate and strengthen the response, the Organization has established the Global Tourism Crisis Committee which will hold regular virtual meetings, reflecting the need for coordinated and efficient action by the private and public sectors, governments, international financing institutions, and the United Nations.