UNWTO calls for recovery plans, loss estimated to be 50 billion US$ in international tourism
Travel Biz News —
World Tourism Organization has urged all the governments, international organizations and donor agencies to include tourism as a priority in recovery plans and actions due to outbreak of COVID-19 in more than 95 countries.
UNWTO calls for financial and political support for recovery measures aimed at tourism, and to include support for the sector in the wider recovery plans and actions of affected economies.
The World Health Organization continues to advise against the application of travel or trade restrictions to countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.
In an update on the sector’s response to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) offers a first assessment pointing to a decrease in international arrivals and receipts in 2020.
Public health measures need to be implemented in ways that minimize any unnecessary disruption to travel and trade. Since the start of the outbreak, according to a statement issued by UNWTO.
UNWTO has revised its 2020 prospects for international tourist arrivals to a negative growth of 1 per cent to 3 per cent, translating into an estimated loss of US$ 30 to 50 billion in international tourism receipts.
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, UNWTO predicted a positive growth of 3 to 4 per cent for this year.
Asia and the Pacific will be the worst affected region, with an anticipated fall in arrivals of 9 to 12 per cent. Estimates for other world regions are currently premature in view of the rapidly evolving situation.
The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak will be felt across the whole tourism value chain. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili stressed that “small and medium sized enterprises make up around 80% of the tourism sector and are particularly exposed with millions of livelihoods across the world, including within vulnerable communities, relying on tourism”.
Political and financial commitments are key to ensure that tourism can lead wider economic and social recovery, as proven in past disruptions on the back of the highly resilient nature of the sector and its ability to bounce back strongly.
March 7 , 2020
