Millions of Tourist Jobs Lost Says UN Group Based in Spain’s Madrid

THE Madrid-based World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) says that international tourism is in its worst-ever crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic, with millions of jobs set to be lost.

UNWTO secretary-general, Zurab Pololikashvili, said: “The world is facing an unprecedented health and economic crisis. Tourism has been badly hit, with millions of jobs at risk in one of the most labour-intensive sectors of the economy.”

The UNWTO believes that international journeys could be slashed by as much as 80 per cent this year, whilst if there is some improvement in travel, the figure goes down to 58 per cent.

The organisation has calculated that 120 million people need tourism to stay employed, and that’s purely on a direct basis.

The gloomy report squares up with the World Travel and Tourism Council’s projection of at least 100 million people losing work because of the collapse of the tourist trade.