THE United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has maintained a cautious outlook for the rest of the year as the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to linger on, with new data showing an 87 percent fall in international tourist arrivals in January as compared to 2020.
According to the latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, all world regions continued to experience large drops in tourist arrivals in the first month of the year. It noted that mandatory testing, quarantines, and in some cases the complete closure of borders, have all hindered the resumption of international travel. In addition, the speed and distribution of the vaccination roll-out have been slower than expected, further delaying the restart of tourism.
Asia and the Pacific (-96 percent), the region which continues to have the highest level of travel restrictions in place, recorded the largest decrease in international arrivals in January. Europe and Africa both saw a decline of 85 percent in arrivals, while the Middle East recorded a drop of 84 percent. International arrivals in the Americas, on the other hand, decreased by 79 percent in January, following somewhat better results in the last quarter of the year.
The UNWTO reiterates the call for stronger coordination on travel protocols between countries to ensure the safe restart of tourism and avoid another year of massive losses for the sector.
“2020 was the worst year on record for tourism. The international community needs to take strong and urgent action to ensure a brighter 2021. Many millions of livelihoods and businesses are depending on it. Improved coordination between countries and harmonized travel and health protocols are essential to restore confidence in tourism and allow international travel to resume safely ahead of the peak summer season in the northern hemisphere,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili in a statement.