The number of worldwide tourist trips due to the COVID-19 pandemic decreased in January-August this year by a record 70% compared to the same period in 2019, the UN World Tourism Organization reported.
Reduction of the tourist flow by 700 million people and loss of $730 billion by the world tourism sector "more than eight times higher the losses during the 2009 global financial crisis," the organization said in a statement.
The greatest damage from the pandemic was caused to the Asia-Pacific region, where tourist traffic decreased by 79%, Africa and the Middle East (-69%), Europe (-68 %) and the Americas (-65 %).
By the end of 2020, the UN World Tourism Organization predicts a 70% decrease in the number of international tourist trips on an annual basis, expecting that the market situation will begin to recover at the end of 2021.