Global response from travel sector

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has called upon G20 tourism ministers to lead a united and coordinated recovery for the tourism sector out of the COVID-19 crisis. G20 nations have pledged to provide support to tourism.

The WTTC says only the G20 has the power to influence and drive forward a coordinated recovery effort needed to preserve the sector.

G20 nations have pledged to provide support to tourism, one of the most heavily affected sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to WTTC analysis, 100 million jobs around the world are at risk,75 million in G20 countries, with one million jobs on the line daily, significantly impacting major source markets.

G20 nations have agreed to work together to provide support to the sector and applaud the national efforts to mitigate the social and economic impacts of the pandemic by G20 countries. Tourism ministers also pledged to work with authorities to ensure that the introduction and removal of travel restrictions are coordinated and proportionate to the national and international situation and ensure the safety of travellers.

Preliminary estimates from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicate a 45% decline in international tourism in 2020 due to the coronavirus, which could rise to 70% if recovery efforts are delayed until September.

Tourism ministers agreed to work with international organisations, industry partners, and across governments to include tourism in response and recovery programmes.

The WTTC’s four principles to ensure swift recovery for the sector and the global economy following the end of the COVID-19 outbreak, are:

• A joint public-private coordinated approach across the G20 to re-establish effective operations, remove travel barriers and reopen borders. This would ensure the efficient resumption of flights, movement of people and wide travel essential to re-build confidence.
• Enhance the seamless traveller journey experience, combining the latest technology and protocols to increase health standards. Consider the new normal for the sector with components of health, security, hygiene and sustainability with a traveller centric approach.
• Work with the private sector and health experts to define global standards for the new normal, grounded in science that can be easily adopted by businesses of every size across all travel industries and can be implemented across the world.
• Continue to aid and assist to the tourism sector during the recovery phase, throughout the entire travel eco-system. To continue with financial support for workers, businesses and for promotion for a prompt recovery. It is vital the domino effect is fully realised so that businesses large and small can all recover and prosper.

Separately, a new report by the Tourism Research Centre of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), has stated that the number of tourists and China’s income from tourism may slump about 30% this year compared with 2019 because of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the sector.

The report lays out three scenarios: optimistic, cautiously optimistic and cautious.

• The optimistic estimate sees tourist numbers falling 23% to 465,900, and tourism revenue dropping 26% to CNY4.8 trillion (US$679.7 billion).
• The cautiously optimistic outlook projects decline of 29% and 33%
• The cautious scenario pins the size of the setback at 35% and 40%.

This is the deepest and largest impact on China’s tourism industry with the broadest range since the reform and opening up period began in 1978 says CASS.