Tourism is one of the world’s most outstanding economic sectors, employing one in every ten people.
COVID-19 has been a turning point in all sectors and industries. And tourism has suffered the most from the consequences of the global pandemic.
Right now, one in three destinations worldwide (34% according to UNWTO data from July 2021), still have travel restrictions in place, and most require a negative COVID-19 test as a guarantee for entry.
In the face of the fall in international travel, domestic tourism has been the first to rebound. Given the current restrictions, this demand for domestic tourism will allow a number of destinations to offset the impact of the fall in international arrivals, as reflected in a diverse range of national tourism promotional campaigns.
The COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to rethink tourism and ensure its restart is more sustainable, inclusive and innovative. As UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili notes, “we must rethink what the tourism sector is and what its contribution to people and the planet looks like”.
