World tourism will fall by 70% by 2020 due to the pandemic, according to UNWTO estimates

The travel restrictions adopted in many regions of the world to deal with COVID-19 continue to take their toll on global tourism and in view of the evolution of the pandemic it seems that for the time being it will remain unsettled. The latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) shows that in the first eight months of 2020 international arrivals have plummeted by 70%. The forecasts are no better. The UNWTO forecasts a fall of around 70% for 2020 as a whole.

In July, international tourism fell by 81% and in August the drop was 79%, according to the latest UNWTO Barometer. The falls are very significant if we take into account that it is the summer months, the high season in the Northern Hemisphere, when there is the greatest movement of tourists during the year. Translated into figures, the collapse up to August means 700 million fewer tourists compared to the same period last year. The economic losses are estimated at $730 billion less. This is eight times the fall recorded in 2009 during the global economic and financial crisis.

All regions have recorded significant falls in tourist visits during the first eight months of the year. The Asia-Pacific region was the first to be impacted by the COVID-19 and has recorded a 79 per cent drop in arrivals, followed by Africa and the Middle East (both -69 per cent), Europe (-68 per cent) and the Americas (-65 per cent).

Following the gradual reopening of international borders, Europe recovered its figures slightly in July and August (-72% and -69% respectively). The improvement did not last long, as travel restrictions due to increased contagion soon returned. At the other end of the scale, the Asia-Pacific region recorded the largest falls, with -96% in both months, reflecting the closure of borders to China and other major destinations in the region.

"This unprecedented decline is having dramatic social and economic consequences and puts millions of jobs and businesses at risk," says UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili, who underlines "the urgent need to safely resume tourism activity, at the right time and in a coordinated manner".