Need for stronger coordination

Outlook for the rest of the year remains cautious as the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) continues to call for stronger coordination on travel protocols between countries to ensure the safe restart of tourism and avoid another year of massive losses for the sector.

Hazel Jain

Rebound travel in Q3 & Q4

The UNWTO has outlined two scenarios for 2021, which consider a possible rebound in international travel in quarters three and four. The first points to a global uplift in travel during July, which would result in a 66% increase in international arrivals for 2021 compared to historic lows of 2020. The second considers a potential rebound in September, leading to a 22% increase in arrivals compared to last year, while still trailing 67 per cent below the levels of 2019.

Vaccination success

A number of factors could affect this rebound in international travel, most notably being a major lifting of travel restrictions by countries, their success of vaccination programmes, or the introduction of harmonised protocols such as the Digital Green Certificate planned by the European Commission. The latest survey of the UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts shows prospects for the June-August period improving slightly.

Improved coordination

UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili has said that the international community needs to take strong and urgent action to ensure a brighter 2021. Improved coordination between countries and harmonised travel and health protocols are essential to restore confidence in tourism and allow international travel to resume safely. Tourism experts point to the continued imposition of travel restrictions and the lack of coordination as the main obstacle to the sector’s rebound.

Innovative experiences

The cultural diversity and knowledge of indigenous peoples can bring innovative experiences and new business opportunities for tourism destinations and local communities, and help them recover from the impacts
of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on this, the UNWTO has partnered with the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance on a set of guidelines, designed to ensure this type of experiences are led by the indigenous communities themselves.

Remove travel restrictions

UNWTO expects a rebound in international tourism only in 2022, up from 50 per cent in the January 2021 survey. The remaining 40 per cent see a potential rebound in 2021, though this is down slightly from the percentage in January.The worst hit region is Asia-Pacific, which recorded the largest decrease in international arrivals in the first month of the year due to its high levels of travel restrictions.

Digital transformation must

The digital transformation that the tourism sector is undergoing to increase its competitiveness and resilience needs to be brought closer to the people who carry it out, and it is necessary and urgent to train them so that they can address these challenges, according to the UNWTO. For this reason, more than 1,200 people were trained in digital skills and entrepreneurship in the UNWTO Tourism Tech Adventures forums. The aim is to leave no one behind in the digitisation process.

Identify tourism news

The UNWTO has also underlined the importance of restoring trust in travel in order to restart tourism. Pololikashvili has said that identifying tourism-related news that will inspire and inform viewers and showcase the sector’s importance to drive recovery and sustainable development for all. He added that there is a need to showcase tourism’s unique ability to provide opportunity and drive growth.