INTERNATIONAL. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has said that between five and seven years’ worth of tourism growth will be lost to COVID-19, based on its latest estimates.
The organisation has released its updated assessment of the impact, saying that 2020 international tourist arrivals will be down by -20% to -30% compared with 2019 figures. It cautioned that the figures are subject to further change in view of the “extreme uncertain nature of the current crisis”.
A 20-30% fall in volumes could translate into a decline in international tourism receipts (exports) of between US$300-450 billion, almost one-third of the US$ 1.5 trillion generated in 2019.
UNWTO noted that in 2009, on the back of the global economic crisis, international tourist arrivals declined by -4%, while the SARS outbreak led to a decline of just -0.4% in 2003.
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.”
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