The Covid-19 epidemic has put the tourism industry in check more than any other, although it is only enough to look through the different stock exchanges in the world to discover that it is very difficult to find winners and losers. Economies at the international level have already suffered.

IATA sees global revenue losses in 2020 for the passenger business between $ 63 thousand and $ 113 billion. Even so, not everything is negative, following the day to day of the last weeks, you can notice a resounding commitment of all the companies and organizations involved in putting tourism back on its feet and that the business can be viable when the crisis is overcome.

One of the most comforting news for travelers has been the rapid response of airlines and cruise lines, niches that have often been much less flexible.

It should be a great deal that the airline's share prices have fallen by almost 25% since the outbreak began, some 21 percentage points more than the decrease that occurred at a similar point during the SARS crisis of 2003.

"Airlines are trying their best to stay afloat while performing the vital task of linking the world's economies. As governments seek stimulus measures, the airline industry will need consideration for tax relief, charges and allocation of slots. These are extraordinary times, "said Alexandre de Juniac, CEO and CEO of IATA.

The World Tourism Organization has revised its 2020 outlook for international tourist arrivals at a negative growth of between 1% and 3%, which represents an estimated loss of between US $ 30,000 and 50,000 million. . in income from international tourism. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, UNWTO had expected a positive growth of between 3% and 4% for this year.

In this first evaluation, Asia and the Pacific is expected to be the most affected region, with an expected drop in arrivals of between 9% and 12%. At present, estimates for other regions of the world are premature, given the speed with which the situation evolves. UNWTO stresses that any estimate should be treated with caution and is likely to be updated.

UNWTO calls for financial and political support for recovery measures aimed at tourism and that support for the sector be included in the broader recovery plans and measures of the affected economies.
The incidence of the Covid-19 outbreak will be noted throughout the tourism value chain. The UNWTO Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili, further emphasizes that “small and medium-sized enterprises constitute about 80% of the tourism sector and are particularly exposed, with millions of people, many of them in vulnerable communities, for which tourism is his livelihood ».

Political and financial commitments are essential to ensure that tourism can lead a broader economic and social recovery, as demonstrated in past situations, due to the highly resilient nature of the sector and its ability to recover strongly.

Another of the most positive aspects is the coordination between tourism and health officials to ensure a containment of the epidemic. One of the best examples is the Caribbean region where the Caribbean Tourism Working Group COVID-19 has been formed, which is composed of representatives from CARPHA, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), the Tourism Organization del Caribe (CTO) and the Global Center for Crisis Management and Tourism Resilience (GTRCMC). Perhaps it is the genesis of a new organism and that according to our vision must have existed long before not only to respond to emergencies, but to prevent future challenges.

Another detail that in our opinion can help prevent the circulation of all types of diseases is the citizen awareness of each traveler. In many countries there is a phenomenon of movements promoting not complying with vaccination schedules. Something that after this crisis, will be very questioned. Today each person has become very aware that taking care of oneself is also protecting the primate. The WTTC released a report today where it recommends following a series of eight simple and easy to understand measures to counteract COVID-19.

“Travel and tourism are an important part of the world economy and directly affect tens of millions of people around the world. Therefore, it is essential that business and leisure travelers take action based on facts, instead of panicking, "said Gloria Guevara, president and executive director of the World Travel and Tourism Council.