INTERNATIONAL tourism remains fragile for the remainder of the year as the surge in Delta variant cases of the novel coronavirus has forced a number of countries to reimpose travel restrictions.
This despite the slight uptick in international tourist arrivals in May 2021, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which recorded an 82-percent fall from May 2019, compared to the 86-percent fall in April 2021, year on year.
In the first five months of 2021, international arrivals plunged by 85 percent to 220 million from the 1.46 billion in the same period in 2019, and 65 percent down from 630 million recorded in 2020.
Inbound tourism revenues continued to be weak, with destinations recording between 50 percent and 90 percent declines from January to May 2021, compared to the same period in 2019, pre-pandemic. In 2021, international tourism receipts were recorded at 64-percent less than those recorded in 2020.
The good news is, there is some rebound in domestic tourism in some countries where there are large domestic markets such as China and Russia. For these countries, “Domestic air seat capacity…has already exceeded pre-crisis levels,” said the UNWTO in a news statement released over the weekend. The United States has also registered some strengthening in its domestic travel business.
In the same news statement, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said, “Accelerating the pace of vaccination worldwide, working on effective coordination and communication on ever changing travel restrictions while advancing digital tools to facilitate mobility will be critical to rebuild trust in travel and restart tourism.”
He noted, while international tourism may be slowly picking up, “Recovery remains very fragile and uneven. Rising concerns over the Delta variant of the virus have led several countries to reimpose restrictive measures.”
He added, “The volatility and lack of clear information on entry requirements could continue to weigh on the resumption of international travel during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer season. However, vaccination programs around the world, together with softer restrictions for vaccinated travellers and the use of digital tools such as the EU Digital COVID Certificate, are all contributing to the gradual normalization of travel.”
Asia and the Pacific region continued to suffer the largest decrease in international arrivals at 95 percent in the first five months of 2021, from the same period in 2019. Europe followed with an 85-percent decline in arrivals, then the Middle East at -83 percent, and Africa, at -81 percent. In comparison, The Americas saw a smaller decrease at -72 percent.
In the AsPac region, Southeast Asia in particular, recorded the most enormous contraction in international arrivals at close to 95 percent.
The UNWTO said many international borders remain closed at 63 countries in June from 69 in February. Of the total in June, 33 were in Asia and the Pacific, while just seven in Europe, the region with the fewest restrictions on travel currently in place.