Tourism has been hit hard – maybe hardest of all – by the COVID-19 pandemic. At UNWTO, we anticipate that total international tourist arrivals for 2020 will be around 70% lower than they were in 2019. And this isn’t just a matter of hard-working people missing out on their well-earned vacations.
Tourism has been hit hard – maybe hardest of all – by the COVID-19 pandemic. At UNWTO, we anticipate that total international tourist arrivals for 2020 will be around 70% lower than they were in 2019. And this isn’t just a matter of hard-working people missing out on their well-earned vacations.
For many millions of people all around the world, tourism is a lifeline. It is a leading provider of jobs. In fact, the sector provides one in ten jobs worldwide. Furthermore, tourism is unrivalled in its ability to provide opportunities for those who may otherwise be left behind. Women, youth, indigenous communities and those living in rural areas are have all been among the biggest beneficiaries as tourism enjoyed unprecedented growth in the decade leading up to March 2020. But this also means that they are the most vulnerable when the tourists stop arriving.
As uncertainty continues, and some destinations consider re-introducing travel restrictions they only recently lifted, the recovery of international tourism may look a long way off. Indeed, UNWTO is currently working with countries in every global region to help them grow their domestic tourism, since this market is set to grow back faster than international travel as people go where they feel safe.
However, global, international tourism will recover. As I told those government and private sector leaders who attended the special edition of the UNWTO Investment Forum we held during our Executive Council last month, tourism is a savvy – and safe – bet. The sector has a long history of adapting to challenges and bouncing back from adversity. It did so after the terrorist attacks of 2001 and in the wake of the SARS pandemic of 2004 and the Global Economic Crisis of 2008. It will bounce back again. Indeed, my recent meetings with the leaders of the European Institutions in Brussels made clear that there is a strong determination to get free movement of people moving again, safely and responsibly, as swiftly as possible.
The most immediate priority, and the most effective way of getting international tourism moving again, is to address the question of confidence. People want to feel that it is safe to travel. And they also want to be confident they will not be at risk of making other people ill if they leave their homes. Every part of the tourism value chain has a role to play here, and UNWTO has been working with both governments and the private sector to boost confidence, the most precious commodity of the moment. For that reason, we are developing a first set of harmonized consumer protection protocols for tourism. If people feel supported amid this ongoing uncertainty, they are more likely to travel again.
Also key to restoring confidence is leading by example. As the recognized leader of the global tourism sector, with our unique ability to work with the highest level of governments and also provide a bridge between the public and private sectors, many people look to UNWTO for guidance and for reassurance.
Leading by example
As soon as it was safely possible, UNWTO resumed in-person visits to our Member States. My visits to the Canary Islands and Ibiza and then to Italy not only allowed me the chance to see for myself how public-private cooperation was allowing tourism to return to these leading destinations, it also set a clear and strong message: Safe, responsible travel can be done. This very same message was sent out through our Executive Council, held in Tbilisi, Georgia. More than 170 delegates representing 24 countries took part in-person, alongside those joining us virtually.
Private businesses across the whole of the tourism sector also have a role to play in re-building confidence. And I have every confidence they will rise to the challenge. Airlines, airports, hotels – all need to be proactive in establishing the strictest hygiene and safety protocols. Like a chain, the tourism sector right now is only as strong as its weakest link – if one of us is complacent, it will undermine our (valid) assertion that tourism is safe.
At the same time, this is an opportunity for us to look to the future and to realign our sector. There are some voices who argue that an end to international travel is a good thing. We must prove them wrong. Tourism has, for many years now, acknowledged its climate action responsibilities. Much progress has been made. But much more needs to be done. This unexpected pause offers us the chance to make sustainability a central driver of recovery rather than a niche part of our sector. The implementation of the AlUla Framework
for Inclusive Community Development Through Tourism is just one example of tourism stepping up to meet its responsibilities. This Framework, which we presented to the Tourism Ministers of the G20 nations, gives all key stakeholders, including governments and businesses, specific recommendations and tools to adopt a holistic approach to building back stronger, and ensuring that the benefits that tourism’s return brings are shared as widely and fairly as possible.
An unprecedented crisis demands new ideas
For UNWTO, sustainability and innovation go hand-in-hand. This is no time for business as usual. We need new ideas and new voices. That’s why, since the start of the current crisis, we have stepped up our efforts to identify the best innovators in our sector. UNWTO Start-Up Competitions seek out and reward those with the potential to transform everything from Africa’s tourism sector to sports and gastronomy tourism. At the same time, we have built on our partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to support the roll out of green technology across the hospitality industry. And UNWTO stands ready to support any initiatives, including potential safe destination branding or so-called ‘health passports’ that could get tourism moving again.
And, as tourism does restart, we also have a duty to ensure that the many social and economic benefits it offers are shared as widely and as fairly as possible. During this Year of Tourism and Rural Development, a theme that was also the focus of World Tourism Day 2020, UNWTO has been highlighting the important role our sector plays in providing opportunities outside of big cities. This means supporting jobs, providing access to education and skills training. Spreading the power of tourism beyond big cities will also help safeguard our cultural and natural heritage. In many places, it is only thanks to tourism that traditions have been kept alive or endangered species brought back from the edge of extinction.
Restarting tourism will not be easy. And rebuilding in a way that prioritizes sustainability, opportunity and equality will be even more challenging. However, this is an opportunity the whole of the sector must seize, from UNWTO in its position as the global leader of tourism and bridge between governments and enterprises, and businesses of all sizes.
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