In his message, to mark World Tourism Day Guterres explained that to raise awareness about covering the social, cultural, political, and economic contribution of tourism towards gaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
To the global economy, the effect of the pandemic on tourism could bring in more than US$ 4-trillion loss, as per a recent report from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
By emphasizing the fact that in the first months of 2021, “international tourist arrivals decreased by a staggering 95 percent in parts of the world”.
Guterres also mentioned that tourism constantly suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic.“This is a major shock for developed economies, but for developing countries, it is an emergency,’’ he added.
“Climate change is also severely affecting many major tourist destinations, particularly Small Island Developing States”, his message added. “There, tourism accounts for nearly 30 percent of all economic activity.”
Admitting that millions of livelihoods are in danger, Guterres explained that now it is “time to rethink, transform, and safely restart tourism”.
Tags: UN Chief,António Guterres
