UNWTO urges countries to restart tourism

UNWTO urges countries to restart tourism

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) believes that governments have the most important role to play in restoring tourism, through cooperation, data sharing and digital solutions.

Phuket (Thailand) welcomed international guests back on July 1. Source: Reuters

In a notice released on July 5, UNWTO said that only three destinations, Albania, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic (accounting for 1%) were fully open to international tourists and had no restrictions. Still 29% of destinations worldwide are completely closed to international visitors; 34% partially closed and 36% required visitors to test negative for Covid-19.

Notably, 70% of destinations in Asia and the Pacific remained completely closed, compared with just 13% in Europe, 20% in the Americas, 19% in Africa and 31% in the Middle East. The launch and recovery of global travel will still be difficult if governments continue to recommend caution.

Up to four of the world's top 10 source markets for tourism still advise their citizens not to travel abroad, and impose mandatory quarantine regardless of which country they return from. In 2018, these four markets generated 25% of total international tourist arrivals.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Governments play the most important role in revitalizing tourism, through cooperation, data sharing and digital solutions.” Governments can change their mind at any time, on easing, adjusting or tightening travel restrictions. This is a big challenge for the tourism industry, in the context of very complicated and different immigration procedures between countries today.

UNWTO believes that, rather than constantly changing policies, it is most important for countries to ensure consistency and complete information on immigration procedures and other requirements to maintain the confidence of tourists. . The same should apply to the nationals of that country itself.

In addition, UNWTO also pointed out that the opening of tourism is closely related to the rate of vaccination against Covid-19 vaccine. Destinations with the most stringent restrictions have low vaccination rates. Meanwhile, tourism is gradually recovering to destinations with higher vaccination rates, where countries can agree on protocols such as the Schengen area in Europe.