Covid: one-third of worldwide destinations remain closed
More than half of the destinations that remain closed to international travellers have been so since 27 April 2020, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
Over 12 months since the coronavirus first emerged and countries enforced lockdowns, UNWTO has released data that reveals how the world looks today in terms on international travel, with one in three destinations worldwide completely closed to international tourism (69 out of the 217).
In its Travel Restrictions Report, UNWTO explains that most of the ‘former tourist draws’ affected by travel restrictions are in Asia, the Pacific and Europe. Conversely, the majority of those that have opened up to international visitors are in Albania, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, North Macedonia and Tanzania – where all Covid restrictions have been lifted.
But Zurab Polilikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, noted that restrictions are ‘just one part of the solution’ when it came to restarting tourism: “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. Their 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.”
In the hopes to try and inspire a faster restart in the business travel sphere, Singapore has launched its international business travel ‘bubble’ facility.
Robyn Bainbridge
Robyn Bainbridge edits the International Hospitals & Healthcare Review and is a writer and copy-editor for both ITIJ and AirMed&Rescue. Six years a freelance writer, she enjoys injecting a fresh take on a tired topic and is a keen advocate of sustainable tourism. She also has over 15 species of plants in her living room.