Global tourism loses USD 460 billion

The global tourism industry lost 460 billion dollars in the first half of 2020, due to restrictions on international travel amid the coronavirus pandemic, the UN World Tourism Organization (WTO UN) stated.

– The huge decline in international travels for January-June 2020 period resulted in 440 million fewer people traveling overseas and the decline in international tourism revenue of about USD 460 billion, the WTO UN report said,TASS news agency reports.

The decline in tourism revenue is said to be about five times the loss triggered by the 2009 global economic crisis.

According to the WTO data, international arrivals suffered a 65% fall in the first half-year because the countries introduced travel restriction and closed borders in order to attempt to suppress the contagion.

The first region to suffer the Covid 19 consequences, Asia-Pacific, was hardest hit, with a 72 % drop in the observed six-month period.

Europe is next with a 66% drop, followed by North and South America which suffered a 55 % fall whereas Africa and the Middle East were each down by 57%.

World Tourism Organization of United Nations

fall of global tourism

Covid 19

coronavirus

international tourism revenue