Zurab Pololikashvili – आवारा मुसाफिर

For tourism to thrive, restrictions need to be eased

August 29, 2020489 Views

If tourism brings us together, then travel restrictions keep us apart. More importantly, restrictions on travel also prevent tourism from delivering on its potential to build a better future for all. This week the United Nations Secretary-General launched the Policy Brief “COVID-19 and Transforming Tourism”, which UNWTO assumed the lead role in producing. Reflecting upon this development, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said that, “This landmark report makes clear what is at stake – the threat of losing tens of millions of direct tourism jobs, the loss of opportunities for those vulnerable populations and communities who stand to benefit most from tourism, and the real risk of losing vital resources for safeguarding natural and cultural heritage across the world.” ...

खबरनामाघटनाएंजलवायु परिवर्तन

Imperative to rebuild the tourism sector in a safe, equitable and climate friendly manner

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

August 25, 2020464 Views

As part of the wider UN response to COVID-19, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres released on Tuesday a thematic brief on the impact the pandemic has had on tourism. Drawing on the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the lead author of the publication, it warns that as many as 100 million direct tourism jobs are at risk, and the massive drop in export revenues from tourism could reduce global GDP by as much as 2.8%. The brief stresses that tourism is an essential pillar of the SDGs and the most vulnerable workers and nations are at greatest risk. Tourism has been among the hardest hit of all sectors by COVID-19 and no country has been unaffected, with restrictions on travel and a sudden drop in consumer demand leading to an unprecedented fall in international...

खबरनामाघटनाएं

No time for timid leadership, safe restart of tourism is possible

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

August 20, 2020427 Views

The cost of the restrictions on travel introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is there for all to see. Between January and May, the sudden and rapid fall in tourist arrivals cost an estimated $320 billion. That’s three times greater than the impact of the Great Recession of 2007-2009 on our sector – and this is just for the first five months of the year. The re-opening of borders to tourism is a welcome relief to millions who depend on our sector. But this alone is not enough, especially in view of recent announcements and measures which seem further and further away from the international coordination that UNWTO has been calling for since the pandemic erupted. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili has said in a statement that, in these uncertain times, people ar...

खबरनामाघटनाएं

Dramatic fall in tourism puts millions of livelihoods at risk

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

July 28, 2020882 Views

The enormous toll of COVID-19 on international tourism has now become clear, with World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) data showing the cost up to May was already three times that of the 2009 Global Economic Crisis. As the situation continues to evolve, the United Nations specialized agency has provided the first comprehensive insight into the impact of the pandemic, both in tourist numbers and lost revenues, ahead of the upcoming release of up-to-date information on travel restrictions worldwide. UNWTO Confidence Index has dropped to record lows The latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer shows that the near-complete lockdown imposed in response to the pandemic led to a 98 per cent fall in international tourist numbers in May when compared to 2019. The Barometer also show...