The United Nations’ specialised agency for tourism has released guidelines which it hopes will the industry form a “strong and sustainable” recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.
The UNWTO guidelines, produced in consultation with the Global Tourism Crisis Committee, call on governments and the private sector to “act decisively” to restore confidence in travel.
In its latest estimations, the UNWTO predicts a fall in the numbers of international tourist arrivals by between 60-80%, putting 100-120 million jobs at risk and an estimated US$ 910 billion to US$ 1.2 trillion in lost exports.
UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili said: “These guidelines provide both governments and businesses with a comprehensive set of measures designed to help them open tourism up again in a safe, seamless and responsible manner.
“They are the product of the enhanced cooperation that has characterised tourism’s response to this shared challenge, building on knowledge and inputs from across the public and private sectors and from several UN agencies as part of the UN’s wider response.”