Stepping up support for sustainable tourism recovery as millions of jobs are at risk
Tourism is a major driver of the world economy, accounting for 7 percent of international trade. Globally, tourism generates directly or indirectly one in every ten jobs. The COVID-19 crisis has devastated the tourism economy, with unprecedented effects on jobs and businesses. Tourism was one of the first sectors to be deeply affected by the COVID-19 containment measures, and with the ongoing travel restrictions and the looming global recession, it also risks being among one of the last to recover. Strong and coordinated action is required to save millions of livelihoods.
With a 60-80 percent decline in international tourism foreseen for 2020, and a drop of between US $910 billion and $1.2 trillion in exports, today over 100 million direct tourism jobs are at risk. Apart from this direct impact, the tourism economy is also linked to many other sectors including construction, agro-food, distribution services and transportation, all of which exacerbate the size of the shock. COVID-19 has revealed the macroeconomic importance of tourism in most OECD and G20 economies. According to Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), many businesses across the sector are fighting to survive, with a disproportionate effect on women, young people, rural communities, indigenous peoples and informal workers – groups that are more likely to be employed in micro or small tourism businesses. The crisis is also creating an even greater hardship for low-income and developing economies, and their local communities, which disproportionately depend on tourism and hence face a serious risk of higher poverty.
Pololikashvili noted that the current crisis has also exposed gaps in government and industry preparedness and response capacity. Policy action at national and international levels, as well as, heightened coordination, are urgently needed across sectors and borders to restore traveller and business confidence, stimulate demand and accelerate tourism recovery.
Turning crisis into opportunity: working for a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism sector
The crisis is an opportunity to rethink tourism development. The recovery must involve transforming the sector, re-inventing tourism destinations and businesses, re-building the tourism ecosystem, and innovating and investing in
sustainable tourism.
At its heart, tourism is about experiences, including the tastes of local food, the exploration of local landscapes, and the sights of historical significance. But it is mostly about people – be they local guides, accommodation operators or other service providers who make your journey special or help you to do business and reach international markets. As such, our collective response must put people first and live up to the pledge of leaving nobody behind. The crisis should be an opportunity to ensure a fairer distribution of tourism’s benefits and advance the transition towards a carbon-neutral and more resilient tourism economy.
On the eve of the G20 Tourism Ministers meeting on October 7, 2020, under the Saudi Presidency, as the leaders of the OECD and UNWTO, global tourism leaders called for strong and urgent action across three fronts to sustain millions of livelihoods.
First, strengthened multilateral cooperation and robust support are critical to reactivate travel. Collaboration and consistency of travel regulations at bilateral, regional and international levels are the stepping-stones that will allow tourism to restart safely, accelerate economic recovery and provide hope for millions of people. This includes strengthening safety and security for travellers and workers and facilitating safe cross border travel, as well as building more resilient destinations. It is vital to reinforce global co-operation and aid to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on travel and tourism and to help accelerate both the economic and social recovery. Getting the tourism ecosystem back up and running will require a coordinated and integrated approach. It is because of its cross-cutting nature that tourism has become a key pillar of the Sustainable Development Agenda and why tourism also forms part of the UN’S socio-economic response to COVID-19.