Tourism Restarts: 40% of Destinations Have Now Eased Travel Restrictions

• All Regions
• 30 Jul 2020

The responsible restart of tourism is underway around the world as growing numbers of destinations ease COVID-19 related travel restrictions and adapt to the new reality. According to the latest analysis from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), 40% of all destinations worldwide have now eased the restrictions they placed on international tourism in response to COVID-19.

The United Nations specialized agency for tourism has been monitoring global responses to the pandemic from the start of the crisis. This latest outlook, recorded on 19 July, is up from 22% of destinations that had eased restrictions on travel by 15 June and the 3% previously observed by 15 May. It confirms the trend of a slow but continuous adaptation and responsible restart of international tourism.

At the same time, however, of the 87 destinations that have now eased travel restrictions, just four have completely lifted all restrictions, while 83 have eased them while keeping some measures such as the partial closure of borders in place. This latest edition of the UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report in addition shows that 115 destinations (53% of all destinations worldwide) continue to keep their borders completely closed for tourism.

This way, global tourism can gain people’s trust and confidence, essential foundations as we work together to adapt to the new reality we now face.

Responsible restart is possible

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The restart of tourism can be undertaken responsibly and in a way that safeguards public health while also supporting businesses and livelihoods. As destinations continue to ease restrictions on travel, international cooperation is of paramount importance. This way, global tourism can gain people’s trust and confidence, essential foundations as we work together to adapt to the new reality we now face.”

According to the UNWTO report, destinations with a higher dependency on tourism are more likely to be easing restrictions on travel: Of the 87 destinations that have eased restrictions recently, 20 are Small Island Developing States (SIDS), many of which depend on tourism as a central pillar of employment, economic growth and  development. The report also shows that around half (41) of all those destinations that have eased restrictions are in Europe, confirming the leading role of the region for the responsible restart of tourism.

Many destinations still in long-term lockdown

Looking at the 115 destinations that continue to have their borders completely closed to international tourism, the report finds that a majority (88) have been completely closed their borders for international tourism for more than 12 weeks.

The cost related to the travel restrictions introduced in response to COVID-19 has historic dimensions. This week, UNWTO released the data on the impact of the pandemic on tourism, both in terms of lost tourist arrivals and lost revenues. The data shows that by already by the end of May, the pandemic had led to US$320 billion in lost revenues, already three times the cost of the 2009 Global Economic Crisis.

Related Links:

• UNWTO Report: Travel Restrictions
• Download News Release PDF
• COVID-19 Related Travel Restriction: A Global Review for Tourism
• UNWTO Global Guidelines to Restart Tourism
• Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism Made Clear as UNWTO Counts the Cost of Standstill
• One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme (2020) - One Planet Vision for a Responsible Recovery of the Tourism Sector

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Impact of COVID-19 on Global Tourism Made Clear as UNWTO Counts the Cost of Standstill

• All Regions
• 28 Jul 2020

The enormous toll of COVID-19 on international tourism has now become clear, with World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) data showing the cost up to May was already three times that of the 2009 Global Economic Crisis. As the situation continues to evolve, the United Nations specialized agency has provided the first comprehensive insight into the impact of the pandemic, both in tourist numbers and lost revenues, ahead of the upcoming release of up-to-date information on travel restrictions worldwide.

The latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer shows that the near-complete lockdown imposed in response to the pandemic led to a 98 per cent fall in international tourist numbers in May when compared to 2019. The Barometer also shows a 56% year-on-year drop in tourist arrivals between January and May. This translates into a fall of 300 million tourists and US$320 billion lost in international tourism receipts – more than three times the loss during the Global Economic Crisis of 2009.

Governments in every world region have a dual responsibility: to prioritize public health while also protecting jobs and businesses

Dramatic fall in tourism places millions of livelihoods at risk

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “This latest data makes clear the importance of restarting tourism as soon as it is safe to do so. The dramatic fall in international tourism places many millions of livelihoods at risk, including in developing countries. Governments in every world region have a dual responsibility: to prioritize public health while also protecting jobs and businesses. They also need to maintain the spirit of cooperation and solidarity that has defined our response to this shared challenge and refrain from making unilateral decisions that may undermine the trust and confidence we have been working so hard to build.”

Restart underway but confidence low

At the same time, UNWTO also notes signs of a gradual and cautious change in trend, most notably in the Northern Hemisphere and particularly following the opening of borders across the Schengen Zone of the European Union on 1 July.

While tourism is slowly returning in some destinations, the UNWTO Confidence Index has dropped to record lows, both for the evaluation of the period January-April 2020, and the prospects for May-August. Most members of the UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts expect international tourism to recover by the second half of 2021, followed by those who expect a rebound in the first part of next year. 

The group of global experts points to a series of downside risks such as travel restrictions and border shutdowns still in place in most destinations, major outbound markets such as the United States and China being at standstill, safety concerns associated with travel, the resurgence of the virus and risks of new lockdowns or curfews. Furthermore, concerns over a lack of reliable information and a deteriorating economic environment are indicated as factors weighing on consumer confidence.

RELATED LINKS

• Statement from Ibiza: COVID-19 Responses Must Not Undermine Solidarity and Confidence
• UNWTO Recognizes Safe and Responsible Restart of Tourism on the Canary Islands
• UNWTO: Market Intelligence
• Download PDF

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Statement from Ibiza: COVID-19 Responses Must Not Undermine Solidarity and Confidence

• All Regions
• 27 Jul 2020

Governments have a duty to put the wellbeing of their citizens first. At the same time, they also have a responsibility to protect livelihoods and businesses.

This goes hand-in-hand with a responsibility to preserve the spirit of international solidarity that has characterized our response to this shared crisis, a response that has included international institutions, the civil society at large and individual citizens.

Again and again, the pandemic puts us to the test and proves that we are stronger if we act together and not in isolation.

Again and again, the pandemic puts us to the test and proves that we are stronger if we act together and not in isolation.

Unilateral actions can cause confusion and produce unnecessary consequences. More importantly, they can undermine public trust and confidence – precious commodities we have worked so hard to build up over these difficult few months.

To be clear, finding the right balance between public health concerns and supporting a sector upon which millions of people depend will not be easy. This is uncharted territory for us all. However, it can be done, as many places are now demonstrating.

On an official visit to the Canary Islands, UNWTO witnessed first-hand how the restart of tourism can be managed responsibly. During this week’s visit to the Balearic Islands we are also seeing how the enforcement of strict health and hygiene protocols are the right partners for the reopening of tourist destinations.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, UNWTO has been calling for governments to work together and with the private sector to get tourism moving again. Now as the summer season is opening in many European countries, where tourism accounts for 27 million jobs and supports many businesses both big and small, we reiterate our call.

Destinations, the tourism sector and its millions of employees have been preparing over the past months to welcome visitors. Public authorities have also made significant advances in prevention, detection and tracing. The challenges we were confronted with early this year persist, but we have learned important lessons and now more prepared. This is especially true for tourism, probably one of the safest environments right now due to its strong focus on people and their wellbeing.

It is not too late to ensure that the economic and social benefits tourism has a long history of delivering return before the end of the high season. For this, however, we need even greater cooperation and for both individual and joint actions to be considered and proportionate.

Zurab Pololikashvili
Secretary-General,
World Tourism Organization

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Tourism Sector to Continue Taking Action on Plastic Pollution

• All Regions
• 22 Jul 2020

A new set of Recommendations published today outline how the global tourism sector can continue in its fight against plastic pollution while effectively facing the public health and hygiene challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ongoing pandemic has hit the tourism sector hard, putting more than 100 million jobs at risk. Now, as countries begin to recover and tourism restarts in a growing number of destinations, the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, led by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, has provided a plan of action for both public and private sector stakeholders to address the root causes of plastic pollution in these challenging times.

Not managing the transition into the new reality we are facing, including the strong focus on health and hygiene measures, in a responsible manner may have a significant environmental impact, which is why this renewed commitment is vitally important. We are proud to announce the first signatories to the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative today

The Recommendations for the Tourism Sector to Continue Taking Action on Plastic Pollution During COVID-19 Recovery illustrate how reducing the plastic footprint, increasing the engagement of suppliers, working closer with waste service providers, and ensuring transparency on the actions taken, can significantly contribute to the responsible recovery of the tourism sector.

Businesses and governments united

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “As the tourism sector restarts, we have a responsibility to build back better. Not managing the transition into the new reality we are facing, including the strong focus on health and hygiene measures, in a responsible manner may have a significant environmental impact, which is why this renewed commitment is vitally important. We are proud to announce the first signatories to the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative today.”

When not properly disposed of, products such as gloves, masks and sanitiser bottles can end up polluting the natural environments around major tourist destinations.

UNEP Economy Division Director, Ligia Noronha adds: “We need to take a science-based approach and support governments, business, and local communities to ensure we are taking the most effective measures to protect hygiene and health without creating pollution and causing harm to our natural environment. These recommendations addressing hygiene and disposable plastic can support tourism sector stakeholders in their efforts towards a responsible recovery.

Accor, Club Med and Iberostar Group Commit to Initiative 

The recommendations come as major global tourism companies Accor, Club Med, and Iberostar Group cement their commitment to fighting plastic pollution and become three of the first official signatories to the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, along with more than 20 signatories from across all continents, including major industry players and supporting organisations which will act as multipliers. Alongside these, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a member of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative Advisory Committee and has informed these latest recommendations.  

About the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative

The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative unites the tourism sector behind a common vision to address the root causes of plastic pollution. It enables businesses and governments to take concerted action, leading by example in the shift towards a circularity in the use of plastics. Developed within the framework of the Sustainable Tourism Programme of the One Planet network, a multi-stakeholder partnership to implement SDG 12 on Sustainable Consumption and Production, the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative is led by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Tourism Organisation, in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

The full list of signatories and their commitments can be found here.

Related Links:

• Download PDF
• Global Tourism Plastics Initiative
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation
• Sustainable Tourism

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Reflection and Resolve as Tourism Looks to the Future

• All Regions
• 20 Jul 2020

Across Europe, the responsible restart of tourism is now underway. But even as growing numbers of tourists cross borders and businesses open up again, this is no time for complacency . 

Just as we stressed at the beginning of this crisis: words of support are not enough for tourism to recover. Concrete actions are needed. 

For UNWTO, this means supporting Member States and the wider tourism sector as it adapts and transitions towards a more resilient and sustainable future. 

The visit of a UNWTO delegation to the Canary Islands allowed us to do just this. 

Through inviting members of the media, private sector leaders and political leaders to join us for this official visit, UNWTO was able to show that tourism’s return can be managed safely and responsibly. It is possible to prioritise health while at the same time safeguarding jobs and promoting economic recovery! 

At the same time, the innovation running through our sector means that the restart of tourism can help get the global community back on track as we work together to fulfil the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

The UNWTO Sustainable Development Goals Startup Competition, which was launched this week, will identify new ideas with the power and potential to reimagine tourism and enhance the sector’s positive impact on people and planet. I urge all entrepreneurs and innovators to step up and take part. Only through embracing the new can we emerge from this crisis stronger, more resilient and better prepared for the challenges that lie ahead, including addressing inequality and climate action. 

As we look to the future, however, we must also pause to reflect on the terrible human cost of the pandemic. This week, I was honoured to join His Majesty King Felipe VI, alongside the Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and guests including the Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO, as well as other national and international political leaders at a special event to commemorate all those who have lost their lives to COVID-19 in Spain. 

The presence of such high-level figures from within and also from outside of Spain was testament to the international solidarity that has characterised our response to this pandemic. It also represented an opportunity for us all to express our appreciation to the health workers who worked – and continue to work – on the frontline of this public health emergency. 

Throughout this crisis, our host country has shown great resolve. It now carries that spirit into a determination to grow back and recover. 

UNWTO offers our full support to Spain, as we do to every other Member State, and will continue to work closely with the government to ensure tourism fulfils its unique potential as a tool for economic recovery and social cohesion.

Zurab Pololikashvili
Secretary-General,
World Tourism Organization

Related links

• Download PDF
• Tourism and COVID-19
• Sustainable Development Goals Global Startup Competition

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UNWTO Invites Startups to Pitch Ways to Accelerate SDGs

• All Regions
• 14 Jul 2020

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has announced the launch of a new Startup Competition as it looks to identify innovators with the power to further tourism’s contribution to sustainable development

As the United Nations specialized agency for tourism, UNWTO has been guiding the sector’s efforts to contribute to the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including through the Tourism 4 SDGs online platform. Now, as the global community faces just 10 years to reach this ambitious agenda for people and planet, tourism’s unique ability to advance several of the SDGs is more relevant than ever.

This competition will rally all sectors around efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and place innovation and sustainability at the heart of global economic recovery

Against the backdrop of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, held under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), UNWTO has launched the SDGs Global Startup Competition. Organized in partnership with Wakalua, the innovation hub of leading tourism group Globalia, the competition has strong private sector backing, with the Advanced Leadership Foundation, Amadeus, Amazon Web Services Activate, BBVA, ClarkeModet, The Far Co, Globant, Google, IE University, Mastercard, Mentor Day, Plug and Play and Telefónica as lead promoters of innovation.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashviki said: “Tourism’s cross-cutting nature is unique. As a sector, it touches on almost every part of our economies and our societies. This competition will rally all sectors around efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and place innovation and sustainability at the heart of global economic recovery.”

The competition is not only open to innovators within the tourism sector. Startups of every kind, from all over the world, are invited to participate provided that they:

• Are innovative in nature and provide value-added solutions
• Are sustainability-driven
• Are scalable, with potential for international growth and potential to be applied in corporations and destinations (countries, regions)
• Are an Early Stage or Series A startup
• Have a tested pilot and business plan
• Have been accelerated before
• Have a full-time team already in place

The 17 most disruptive startups (1 for each of the SDGs) will be given support to scale-up and make a real difference to the future of destinations. UNWTO will present the best ideas to its Member States, Affiliate Members and investors, providing them with a unique networking and matchmaking opportunity. Additional benefits on offer include the chance to pitch at a special UNWTO Demo Day and access to technological support and to the UNWTO Innovation network, as well as a curated mentorship programme with both one-on-one and group training sessions on key topics such as Intellectual Property, sustainability in business and leadership.

Applications are now open and will close on 20 September 2020. The winning startups will be announced in November. To find out more and to apply, visit the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition webpage.

Related Links

• Download PDF
• UNWTO and Telefónica Partner to Help Destinations Use Data and AI to Drive Tourism’s Sustainable Recovery
• Tourism 4 SDGs Online Platform
• UNWTO: Innovation, Investment and Digital Transformation

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UNWTO Recognizes Safe and Responsible Restart of Tourism on the Canary Islands

• All Regions
• 13 Jul 2020

The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has paid an official visit to the Canary Islands to recognize the reopening of the destination and the steps the local authorities have taken to keep both visitors and tourism workers safe as the sector restarts.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili was accompanied by the Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, for a series of high-level meetings with both public and private sector leaders. The delegation met with the President of the Canary Islands Ángel Víctor Torres and the Secretary of Tourism for the Canary Islands Yaiza Castilla, as well as with the Spanish government’s representative on the islands, Anselmo Pestana and the President of Town Hall of Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales.

Mr Pololikashvili said: “Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors for the Canary Islands, providing jobs and livelihoods and supporting many local businesses. The responsible restart of the sector will allow the many benefits tourism offers to return, and UNWTO welcomes the measures that have been taken to build confidence and trust in the sector.”

Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors for the Canary Islands, providing jobs and livelihoods and supporting many local businesses

This official visit follows a successful visit to Italy – the first trip undertaken since restrictions on international travel were eased within the Schengen Zone of Europe. Both visits recognize how tourism is a lifeline for many countries and highlights support for tourism at every political levels and the close collaboration with the private sector.

The UNWTO Regional Director for Europe, Alessandra Priante, said: “Health and safety, including the state of healthcare systems, are now key elements for all destinations. This needs to be reflected in their marketing and communications strategies, both now as tourism restarts and into the future as the sector recovers. Tourism has proven its resilience and its unique ability to drive the recovery and development of societies and it will do so again, and this time sustainability and innovation must be front and centre.”

Maximizing security and open to the media

Alongside meetings with public sector leaders, the UNWTO delegation also saw first-hand the steps being taken by the private sector to ensure the highest level of public safety and hygiene in tourism destinations.

In parallel, UNWTO officials visited each of the eight islands of the Canarian Archipelago to see first-hand the safety protocols put in place to maximize security and safety. A group of up to 60 Spanish and international media also witnessed the safety updates along the whole tourism value chain.

Related Links

• Download PDF
• UNWTO and Italy Look Ahead as European Tourism Restarts
• UN Tourism News: As Tourism Restarts, Our Responsibilities Remain

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