United Nations World Tourism Organization revealed on Wednesday that international tourism levels between January and May 2021 were 85% below the 2019 figures, before the global pandemic had started and 65% down compared to 2020, APA reports citing Teletrader.
The report pointed at emerging COVID-19 variants behind the slow down in the industry's recovery. Despite being left out of the statistics, domestic tourism has bounced back in many parts of the world. The month of May has also seen a positive change in numbers as consumer confidence rises and states ease some restrictions on vaccination optimism.
"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," says UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.