TEHRAN – World tourist arrivals fell by 72% over the first ten months of the year, according to data compiled by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Restrictions on travel, low consumer confidence, and a global struggle to contain the coronavirus pandemic are amongst factors contributing to the worst year on record in the history of tourism.

International destinations welcomed 900 million fewer international tourists between January and October when compared with the same period of 2019, the data indicates.

This translates into a loss of $935 billion in export revenues from international tourism, more than 10 times the loss in 2009 under the impact of the global economic crisis.

Based on the current evidence, UNWTO expects international arrivals to decline by 70% to 75% for the whole of 2020. In this case, global tourism will have returned to levels of 30 years ago, with 1 billion fewer arrivals and a loss of some $1.1 trillion in international tourism receipts.

This massive drop in tourism due to the pandemic could result in an economic loss of $2 trillion in world GDP.

Iran has also suffered the same fate as its foreign arrivals plunged 72% during the first eight months of the year when compared to 2019, according to UNWTO.

AFM/