March 9, 2021

Andrew Campbell 

According to the latest report "Tightened Travel Restrictions Underline Current Challenge for Tourism" released by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on March 8, the emergence of new COVID-19 variants has escalated to an extraordinary level of danger. People now are encountered strict travel restrictions. The deadly pandemic has caused one-third of destinations worldwide to be completely closed to international tourism now.

Statistics show that international tourist arrivals shrank by one billion, about 74%, in 2020. Worst of all, at the beginning of February, UNWTO reported that among 217 destinations worldwide, the international tourism of69 ones, about one-third, were completely stopped, including 11 in Africa, 30 in Asia and the Pacific, and 15 in Europe.

In 2020, the worst year in tourism history,  the world tourism sector was sabotaged reportedly to more than US$1.3 trillion in lost revenue under the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments worldwide have initially started lifting travel restrictions at the end of 2020 but new coronavirus variants seriously worsened amid frustrations of the epidemiological situation. Apparently, there is a reversed trend in hitting the tourism industry for another tough year ahead.

Photo:Webshot.