UN: Number of International Tourists in the World to Drop by 20-30%

International tourist arrivals could be down by 20% to 30% in 2020 when compared with 2019 figures due to coronavirus, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) announced on its website.

According to its updated assessment of the likely impact of the COVID-19 on international tourism, taking into account the unparalleled introduction of travel restrictions across the world, an expected fall of between 20-30% could translate into a decline in international tourism receipts (exports) of between USD 300-450 billion, almost one third of the USD 1.5 trillion generated in 2019.

The UNWTO report stresses that these numbers are based on the latest developments as the global community faces up to an unprecedented social and economic challenge and should be interpreted with caution in view of the extreme uncertain nature of the current crisis.

For context, UNWTO notes that in 2009, on the back of the global economic crisis, international tourist arrivals declined by 4%, while the SARS outbreak led to a decline of just 0.4% in 2003.

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number of international tourists

drop in number of international tourists