Travel Industry, News and Analytics

2020 was the Worst Year in the History of Tourism According to UNWTO

The latest report by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) underlines that 2020 was the worst year for global tourism on record. The international arrivals suffered an unprecedented decline of 74%. The newest issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer estimated the total loss that the coronavirus pandemic caused to international tourism. The figure is truly mind-blowing – US$1.3 trillion, which is 11 times more than the loss caused by the global crisis in 2009. Tourism is one of the major job providers in many countries, and so from 100 to 120 million people around the world are at risk of losing their jobs today.

To keep the pandemic under control, most countries have to implement certain limitations and travel restrictions. Complete closure of borders, mandatory COVID-19 tests and quarantines make it even harder for tourism-related businesses to recover. Global vaccination is the only way to reopen borders and restore consumer confidence, making people willing to travel again. Today, everyone hopes that travel restrictions will be eased and life will slowly get back to normal in 2021.

Even hotels in Bangkok, Paris, London, New York, and other large gateway cities couldn’t maintain their occupancy in 2020. Although most countries have already started vaccination campaigns, it is too early to say that the crisis is over. Countries also need to add certain measures to make traveling safer such as testing, tracing of sick people, vaccination passports, and so on.

The Panel of Experts in UNWTO expressed their mixed thoughts regarding the recovery of international tourism in 2021. A bit less than half of the respondents (45%) think that 2021 will be better than last year, a quarter of the respondents say that the performance will be similar, and one-third expect even a more difficult year. Overall, experts are less optimistic about the recovery in 2021 now. In October 2020, only 20% of the respondents were expecting the recovery to start in 2022 while 79% were sure that the recovery would start in 2021. Nowadays, half of the respondents expect the recovery to start next year.

When tourism finally starts to recover, UNWTO expects domestic tourism to “wake up” first, as well as outdoor and nature-based activities. As of now, Europe is the most affected region when it comes to a drop in tourism. The decrease in arrivals reached 70% in 2020 or 500 million fewer international guests.

Individual City Guides

Breda travel guide

Breda is a small town and a motherland of the great artist Diego Velasquez. Even years this town was known as a large center of food industry though for many, this place was traditionally popular as a tourist resort. The key for this lays in the fact there are simply no large and modern megalopolises in the Netherlands, so Breda is considered one of the coziest and most picturesque old towns in the country. This destination will suit those travellers, who seek peaceful and calm rest. One of … Read further

Cuisine of Merida

Merida is ready to delight gourmets with a variety of interesting dishes and drinks. Since the city can hardly be called touristy, most of its restaurants is aimed at locals and serve typical regional food. The menu necessarily contains a variety of pork dishes. Pork is cooked over an open fire, added to soups and goulashes, used to prepare delicious ham and various types of sausages. Seasonal vegetables are given great attention too. Salads and roasts, as well as interesting first courses are … Read further

Traditions and festivals in Kaiserslautern

Kaiserslautern is an old city that has survived through many epochs. During its long history, the city hasn’t changed much in size, so it is still not very big. Perhaps, this is the reason why the atmosphere of peace and serenity reigns here. It feels like time has stopped in Kaiserslautern, so it is the right place to forget about all troubles and relax. Despite the fact that it is considered a tourist city, Kaiserslautern is great not only for relaxing but also for working and studying. It … Read further

Nagano cultural sights

Due to the abundance of ancient Buddhist temples, Nagano has remained one of the major religious centers in Japan for many centuries. One of the most famous religious and tourist sites is Zenkoji Temple, which keeps a unique Buddhist relic - a Buddha image created in the 6th century. This Buddhist treasure is publicly displayed once every six years, and for the rest of the time, its copy is installed in the temple instead. The ancient temple itself is of great historical value too. The exact … Read further

Waalwijk attractions and entertainment

If you choose such an amazing city as Valaewijk as your holiday destination, you will definitely not regret your decision. Despite the fact that the town is quite small, it is ready to offer a lot of entertainment. Thus, bowling fans have a center built especially for them - this is Mini Atlantis with its fascinating interior, which is rightfully considered one of the city's best places to play this sport. Get absolutely fantastic impressions from visiting Jump XL Trampoline Park Waalwijk, a … Read further

Pico Island for families and kids

Pico Island will please active children who are ready to try something new with their parents every day. There are a lot of quite interesting architectural attractions that will definitely interest babies with its unusual constructions. Boys and girls will enjoy visiting the Fort of Santa Catarina, the only preserved fortification on the island since the 15th century. You should definitely visit the Regional Pico Museum with your child, which tells about the history of the settlement of the … Read further

Shopping in Bielefeld

Bielefeld will not disappoint lovers of shopping trips. Many city's shopping streets start right from the railway station. There are six major shopping centers, the most popular of which is Galeria Kaufhof. It was opened in 1879. Originally, it was trading textile products. Nowadays, it can boast dozens of shops, selling clothes and shoes for every taste, perfume, and lovely household goods, goods for children and exciting souvenirs. Its price range may seem quite high to many, but the quality … Read further

Extreme and fun in Albertville

Alpine Skiing. The town of Albertville is located in a picturesque mountain area. If you choose to spend your vacation there, you will be able to admire a breath-taking landscape and enjoy active recreation and skiing. If you are yet a beginner, you will be pleased with a selection of flat trails. For professional skiers, the resort has special, black trails. There are also schools that offer training for skiers of all levels. The town hosted the 1992 Olympic Games, so tourists can ski on the … Read further