International arrivals could fall by 30 per cent , decline in tourism receipts up to 450 billion US$ this year

Ramesh Tiwari —

The United Nations specialized agency for tourism estimates that international tourist arrivals will be down by 20 to 30 per cent in 2020 as compared with 2019 figures.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in an updated assessment of the likely impact of the COVID-19 on international tourism, expected fall of between 20-30 per cent 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 stressed that these numbers are based on the latest developments as the global community faces up to an unprecedented social and economic challenge and should be interpreted with caution in view of the extreme uncertain nature of the current crisis.

UNWTO noted 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 per cent in 2003.

 “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, “ UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said.

Alongside this new assessment, UNWTO 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.

UNWTO has been working closely with the wider United Nations system, including directly alongside the World Health Organization (WHO) to guide the sector, issuing key recommendations for both high-level leaders and individual tourists since the start of the current crisis and established the Global Tourism Crisis Committee.

Photo: Medical staff use a trolley to move a patient towards a medical helicopter at The Emile Muller Hospital in Mulhouse, eastern France.  – AFP

March 28, 2020