A report issued by the United Nations Trade and Development Organization (UNCTAD) and the United Nations World Tourism Organization showed that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on tourism could lead to a loss of more than $4 trillion to the global economy.
The estimate is based on losses due to the direct impact of the epidemic on tourism, and the doubles effect on related sectors, which is worse than previously expected. The report indicated that the sharp decline in the number of tourist arrivals around the world in 2020, led to an economic loss of $2.4 trillion, and the number is expected to be similar this year depending on vaccinations against the Coronavirus. According to the report, the world needs global vaccination efforts that will protect workers, mitigate negative social impacts, and make strategic decisions about tourism, taking into account potential structural changes. It also revealed that the number of international tourist arrivals decreased by about one billion, or 73 percent, last year, while the decline in the first quarter of 2021 was about 88 percent. Developing countries have borne the brunt of the pandemic's impact on tourism, with declines in arrivals estimated at between 60 and 80 percent.
Source (Al-Arabiya.net Website, Edited)
