Tourism Sector being Compromised due to Lockdown
Over recent years, as the United Nations specialised agency for tourism, UNWTO has been regularly monitoring travel facilitation and observing a continuous trend towards more openness. COVID-19 has dramatically interrupted this, the UNWTO said in a new report.
Almost all global destinations have imposed restrictions on travel since January 2020, including complete bans on all travel as they work to contain the pandemic, it noted.
"According to research carried out for the new report, as of April 6, 96% of all worldwide destinations have introduced travel restrictions in response to the pandemic. Around 90 destinations have completely or partially closed their borders to tourists, while a further 44 are closed to certain tourists depending on country of origin," it said.
"With tourism suspended, the benefits the sector brings are under threat. Millions of jobs could be lost, and progress made in the fields of equality and sustainable economic growth could be rolled back," UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said.
Picture- Zurab Pololikashvili
The UNWTO called on all governments to continuously review travel restrictions and ease or lift them as soon as it is safe to do so.
In India too,
Travel & tourism industry has been a significant contributor to the country’s GDP. The sector even generates a large employment base. So when by mid-March, the popular tourist attractions in India started to close down, and the news on putting a halt on flying began to make rounds, we all started to predict the grim future of the travel industry in the country already. In fact the shutting down of the iconic Taj Mahal on March 17, 2020, which attracts millions of visitors every year, was a sign enough to assess the hard blow this pandemic was launching at us.
Here in India Travel & tourism industry has been a significant contributor to the country’s GDP. The sector even generates a large employment base.The tourism sector was already facing some trouble before the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic due to the impact of the global economic slowdown.Economic growth in the world decelerated in 2019-20, resulting in weaker growth in foreign tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings from tourism in India.With more than 60% of organised hotels in India shut, recovery should be expected gradually.
Almost all global destinations have imposed restrictions on travel since January 2020, including complete bans on all travel as they work to contain the pandemic, it noted.
"According to research carried out for the new report, as of April 6, 96% of all worldwide destinations have introduced travel restrictions in response to the pandemic. Around 90 destinations have completely or partially closed their borders to tourists, while a further 44 are closed to certain tourists depending on country of origin," it said.
"With tourism suspended, the benefits the sector brings are under threat. Millions of jobs could be lost, and progress made in the fields of equality and sustainable economic growth could be rolled back," UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said.
Picture- Zurab Pololikashvili
The UNWTO called on all governments to continuously review travel restrictions and ease or lift them as soon as it is safe to do so.
In India too,
Travel & tourism industry has been a significant contributor to the country’s GDP. The sector even generates a large employment base. So when by mid-March, the popular tourist attractions in India started to close down, and the news on putting a halt on flying began to make rounds, we all started to predict the grim future of the travel industry in the country already. In fact the shutting down of the iconic Taj Mahal on March 17, 2020, which attracts millions of visitors every year, was a sign enough to assess the hard blow this pandemic was launching at us.
Here in India Travel & tourism industry has been a significant contributor to the country’s GDP. The sector even generates a large employment base.The tourism sector was already facing some trouble before the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic due to the impact of the global economic slowdown.Economic growth in the world decelerated in 2019-20, resulting in weaker growth in foreign tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings from tourism in India.With more than 60% of organised hotels in India shut, recovery should be expected gradually.
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