Last year, the United Nation’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) published estimates in May on how big the impact of the coronavirus pandemic could be on tourist arrivals. The most positive of the three scenarios assumed that travel restrictions would be lifted in July. That scenario turned out to be too optimistic with international travel still severely restricted. The UNWTO expected international tourist arrivals to drop by 58 percent this year compared to 2019.
As the chart shows, international tourist arrivals from January through October were down 72 percent globally compared to the same timeframe in 2019. With many countries still managing high case numbers at the start of 2021, reanimating the ailing tourism sector will likely take years, as millions of people continue to fear for their livelihood, especially in regions heavily dependent on the influx of international tourists.
