Slow vaccination will impede tourism revival in developing countries

Monday, July 5, 2021

The biggest brunt of pandemic’s impact on tourism has been borne by the developing countries of the world and South Asia is one of the most affected regions globally.

In 2020, South Asia suffered the largest reductions in terms of tourist arrivals, estimated at between 60 percent and 80 percent. A new report says that their monetary losses are astronomical because of the absence of widespread vaccination.

Across South Asian countries, COVID-19 vaccination rates are irregular, ranging from below 1 percent of the population in some countries to above 60 percent in others.

According to a joint UN Conference on Trade and Development and UN World Tourism Organisation, the irregular vaccine roll-out are actually increasing the financial blow that tourism went through in developing countries, as they could account for up to 60 percent of the global GDP losses.

“Tourism is a lifeline for millions and advancing vaccination to protect communities and support tourism’s safe restart is critical to the recovery of jobs and generation of much-needed resources, especially in developing countries, many of which are highly dependent on international tourism,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

Countries with high vaccination rates like France, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, tourism sector is expected to recover quite faster, the report says.

« Back to Page