Global travel restrictions mean 174m travel and tourism jobs are at risk
31 October, 2020
A “staggering” 174 million travel and tourism jobs could be lost worldwide this season if current global travel restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19 continue, the World Travel & Tourism Council said on Friday.
Prolonged travel barriers could also eradicate $4.7 trillion of the sector’s contribution to gross domestic product, equivalent to a 53-per-cent loss in comparison with 2019.
However, if current barriers to travel are replaced with effective testing programmes, 31 million jobs could possibly be saved by the finish of 2020 - a lot more than 500,000 jobs a day between now and December 31, the travel body said.
“Our latest data reveals the gravity of the long-term negative impact facing the global travel and tourism sector, if we don’t interact to resume international travel immediately,” said Gloria Guevara, WTTC president and chief executive.
“The sector’s recovery will be delayed even more, with an increase of jobs lost, unless quarantines are replaced with rapid, cost-effective testing at airports on departure, and air corridors. The longer we wait, the more the ailing travel and tourism sector faces total collapse.”
The 174 million figure is a downwards revision from June data which expected 197 million job losses by the finish of the year. WTTC said the positive gains have already been driven by the return of domestic air travel in China, which includes seen a positive recovery because of comprehensive testing and contract tracing programmes.
However, Ms Guevara said that as travel restrictions remained set up over the summertime months,more jobs were put under threat once again, which explains why “international coordinated action” is currently needed.
Airlines must cut more jobs to lessen costs as travel demand remains muted in the wake of Covid-19, the International Air Transport Association, a business body representing 280 airlines, said on Tuesday.
The same day, the airports body ACI Europe said around 193 European hubs face going bust because of this of the pandemic. The airports, which provide 277,000 jobs and generate €12.4bn ($14.5bn) in collective gross annual revenue, are considered “at-risk airports,” with the risk of mass closures posing a substantial threat to Europe’s air transport system.
Meanwhile, Heathrow lost its position as Europe’s busiest airport this week for the very first time to Paris Charles de Gaulle, as the hub’s leader John Holland-Kaye blamed the UK government for not attracting an airport testing regime to greatly help kick-start travel, allowing other rivals to reopen faster.
Before the pandemic, travel and tourism was responsible for one in 10 jobs or 330 million altogether all over the world, making a 10.3-per-cent contribution to global GDP and creating one in four of most new jobs, according to WTTC’s 2020 Economic Impact Report.
Earlier this month, the WTTC proposed an idea to restart international travel and tourism and restore 100 million jobs globally. The plan was presented through the meeting of G20 tourism ministers, 45 company chief executives and members of WTTC.
Eliminating quarantines and other travel barriers via an international testing regime, combined with rigorous health insurance and safety checks, may help the industry adjust to Covid-19 while also minimising the spread of coronavirus, it said.
Source: www.thenationalnews.com