The impact of COVID-19 on the international tourism industry in 2020 and 2021 will result in global economic losses of more than $ 4 trillion, including tourism and other closely related industries, according to a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). ). ) And the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), published on Wednesday.
The international tourism industry and related industries suffered losses of $ 2.4 trillion in 2020 due to a sharp decline in the number of foreign tourists. Similar losses are likely to occur this year: projected losses of $ 1.7 to $ 2.4 trillion in 2021 compared to 2019 and the resumption of international tourism in the second half of the year.
The report notes that the loss of tourism has led to an increase in unemployment among the unskilled labor force by an average of 5.5 percent and that the resumption of tourism will largely depend on the use of the COVID-19 vaccine worldwide.
Because vaccination rates are uneven: less than 1 percent of the population is vaccinated in some countries and more than 60 percent in other countries, the report notes that the loss of tourists is greater in developing countries. In some countries with high levels of vaccination, tourism will recover faster.
According to UNWTO, industry experts do not expect to return to the usual crowds before 2023, or even later. The most affected regions are Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, North Africa and South Asia, and the least affected regions are North America, Western Europe and the Caribbean.