We all know that travel practically ground to a halt this year, but the pandemic didn’t affect all countries equally.
Some countries rely on the tourist dollar more than others, which means that some countries almost entirely reliant on tourism were effectively shut down, while other countries with more diverse economies fared better.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international tourist arrivals plunged 93 per cent in June when compared to 2019 and the arrivals dropped by 65 per cent in the first half of the year.
Since that report, governments have cautiously begun opening their borders and started to ease travel restrictions, pointing to a small rebound in the unprecedented numbers.
According to UNWTO, the massive drop in international travel demand over the period January–June 2020 translates into a loss of 440 million international arrivals and about $US460 billion in export revenue from international tourism. This is around five times the loss in international tourism receipts recorded in 2009 amid the global economic and financial crisis.
Australia was in the region that suffered the most damage, with Asia and the Pacific the hardest hit with a 72 per cent fall in tourists for the first half of the year, partly due to being the first region to feel the impact of COVID-19.
Europe was the second-hardest hit with a 66 per cent decline in tourist arrivals in the first half of 2020.
Africa and the Middle East both saw a 57 per cent decline in tourist arrivals, while the Americas saw arrivals decline by 55 per cent.
Narrowing it down further, north-east Asia suffered the largest decline (83 per cent) followed by southern Mediterranean Europe (72 per cent).
Using data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Statista analysed which countries (with large economies) were most affected by the tourism slump using data showing the dependence of GDP on tourism and Australia ranked fifth overall.
Mexico topped the list with 15.5 per cent of its GDP coming from tourist-related activities. Spain and Italy were the worst hit of the European nations.
You will find more infographics at Statista
What country can’t you wait to visit once restrictions are lifted?
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