Advertisement
Coronavirus: how will Europe’s tourism industry survive the pandemic?
- International tourist arrivals could plunge by 60 to 80 per cent in 2020 due to the coronavirus, the World Tourism Organisation has warned
- One expert wants ‘a Marshall Plan for tourism’, similar to the one that helped Europe recover from World War II, providing as much as US$2.2 trillion
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Tourism is a key component in the European economy, accounting for 10 per cent of all activity, but it now faces its greatest challenge – how to survive the coronavirus pandemic?
International tourist arrivals could plunge by 60 to 80 per cent in 2020 owing to the coronavirus, the World Tourism Organisation warned on Thursday, meaning the local business is going to be essential.
France is the world’s leading destination for holiday travel but President Emmanuel Macron warned earlier this week it was “too soon to say if we can take vacations” this year.
Advertisement
EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton believes “some zones will be open to tourists, but not others”, depending on the health situation.
Many people appear to be planning local holidays as international travel looks set to be off the agenda for months to come.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x