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INTERNATIONAL tourist arrivals have plummeted 93 percent in June this year compared to the same month in 2019, data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) showed, pointing to the severe impact that Covid-19 has had in the sector.
According to the new edition of the World Tourism Barometer from the United Nations specialized agency, international tourist arrivals fell by 65 percent during the first half of the year. This represents an unprecedented decline, as countries around the world closed their borders and introduced travel restrictions in response to the pandemic.
According to UNWTO, the massive drop in international travel demand from January to June 2020 translates into a loss of 440 million international arrivals and some $ 460 billion in export earnings from international tourism. This is around five times the loss of international tourism revenue recorded in 2009 amid the global financial and economic crisis.
“The latest World Tourism Barometer shows the profound impact this pandemic is having on tourism, a sector on which millions of people depend for their livelihoods. However, safe and responsible international travel is now possible in many parts of the world, and it is imperative that governments work closely with the private sector to get global tourism moving again. Coordinated action is key, ”said UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili.
In recent weeks, UNWTO said that a growing number of destinations have started to open up again to international tourists. By September, 53 percent of destinations had eased travel restrictions.
“However, many governments remain cautious and this latest report shows that the blockades introduced during the first half of the year have had a massive impact on international tourism. The sudden sharp drop in arrivals has put millions of jobs and businesses at risk, ”the agency said.
The hardest hit
Despite the gradual reopening of many destinations since the second half of May, the expected improvement in international tourism figures during the peak summer season in the northern hemisphere did not materialize.
Europe was the second worst affected of all world regions, with a 66 percent decline in tourist arrivals in the first half of 2020. The Americas (-55 percent), Africa and the Middle East (both -57 percent). cent) also suffered. However, Asia and the Pacific, the first region to feel the impact of Covid-19 on tourism, was the hardest hit, with a 72 percent drop in tourists over the six-month period.
At the subregional level, Northeast Asia (-83 percent) and Southern Mediterranean Europe (-72 percent) suffered the biggest drops. All regions and subregions of the world recorded declines of more than 50 percent in arrivals in the first half of 2020.
The contraction in international demand is also reflected in double-digit declines in international tourism spending among the major markets. The main source markets, such as the United States and China, remain stagnant, although some markets such as France and Germany have shown some improvement in June.
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Going forward, UNWTO said reduced travel demand and consumer confidence will continue to impact results for the rest of the year.
In May, UNWTO described three possible scenarios, pointing to decreases from 58% to 78% in international tourist arrivals in 2020. Current trends through August point to a drop in demand close to 70%, especially now that some destinations They reintroduce travel restrictions.
The extension of the scenarios until 2021 points to a change in trend next year, based on the assumptions of a gradual and linear lifting of travel restrictions, the availability of a vaccine or treatment, and a return of traveler confidence.
“However, despite this, the return to 2019 levels in terms of tourist arrivals would take between two and four years, UNWTO said. (PR)
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