Tourism body releases recovery blueprint

The battered tourism industry can bounce back better than ever if it gets the urgent support it needs to survive, a trade body says. Releasing a blueprint for recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Tourism Organization has made a series of recommendations aimed at propping up the sector before any more damage is done. Among the 23 steps urged are a review of taxes, charges and regulations, a plan to put tourism at the centre of national recovery efforts, and the lifting of travel restrictions as soon as possible. “For tourism to fulfil its potential to help societies and whole countries recover from this crisis, our response needs to be quick, consistent, united and ambitious,” said Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary general of the WTO. The WTO, which has formed a global tourism crisis committee under the auspices of the UN, said last month that the coronavirus outbreak could slash global tourism arrivals this year by nearly a third. “We still do not know what the full impact of COVID-19 will be on global tourism,” Pololikashvili said. “However, we must support the sector now while we prepare for it to come back stronger and more sustainable. Recovery plans and programs for tourism will translate into jobs and economic growth.”