New Delhi (NVI): Around one in three travel destinations worldwide are now completely closed to international tourism, as new variants of COVID-19 has caused concerns among the countries, according to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) report.
UNWTO report said that the emergence of new variants of the COVID-19 virus has prompted many governments to reverse efforts to ease restrictions on travel, with total closures to tourists most prevalent in Asia and the Pacific and Europe.
The data in UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report provides a comprehensive overview of the regulations in place in 217 destinations around the world.
According to the report, as of the beginning of February, 32 per cent of all destinations worldwide (69 in total) are completely closed for international tourism.
Of these, around just over half (38 destinations) have been closed for at least 40 weeks. At the same time, 34 per cent of worldwide destinations are now partially closed to international tourists.
The latest report shows that the “persistent seriousness of the epidemiological situation” has caused governments to adopt a more cautious approach.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Polilikashvili said, “Travel restrictions have been widely used to restrict the spread of the virus. Now, as we work to restart tourism, we must recognise that restrictions are just one part of the solution.”
He added that the restrictions use must be based on the latest data and analysis and consistently reviewed so as to allow for the safe and responsible restart of a sector upon which many millions of businesses and jobs depend.
The ninth edition of the UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report also showed that regional differences with regards to travel restrictions remain.
Of the 69 destinations where borders are completely closed to tourists, 30 are in Asia and the Pacific, 15 are in Europe, 11 are in Africa, 10 are in the Americas and three are in the Middle East.
The report further indicates a trend towards adopting a “more nuanced, evidence and risk-based approach” to implementing travel restrictions. “Growing numbers of destinations worldwide now require international tourists to present a negative PCR or antigen test upon arrival and also provide contact details for tracing purposes,” it added.
Some, 32 per cent of all worldwide destinations now have the presentation of such tests as their main requirement for international arrivals often combined with quarantine, while the same amount have made tests a secondary or tertiary measure, UNWTO said.
Further, analysis of the top 10 tourism source markets currently advising against non-essential travel abroad found they generated 44 per cent of all international arrivals in 2018.
UNWTO noted that advice issued by governments will play a crucial role in the restart and recovery of tourism in the weeks and months ahead.
-RJV
