Browsing: Covid effect on tourism

The tourism industry is unlikely to return to pre-COVID arrival levels until 2023 or later, following the ravaging effect of the coronavirus pandemic.

This is according to the United Nation’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) which reveals that nearly half of the experts interviewed see a return to 2019 levels in 2024 or later.

Quoting its World Investment Report 20201, UNWTO says the main barriers of full recovery are travel restrictions, slow containment of the virus, low traveler confidence and a poor economic environment.

Dubbed ‘COVID-19 and Tourism’, the report reveals that travel has adapted to the impact of COVID particularly in terms of travel restrictions.

“Domestic travel has increased, but this does little to help developing countries that are dependent on international travel. Retirees, who tend to spend more per trip, are more likely to stay at home,” the report says.

In Kenya for instance, domestic tourists cut their holiday …

Economic activity in East Africa is estimated to have declined to a growth of 0.9 percent in 2020 from 6.6 percent in 2019 and is projected to recover to a growth of 3 percent in 2021.

This is revealed in Deloitte’s East Africa Economies Report 2021 which attributed the expected growth to the projected increase in private consumption and domestic demand after the easing of travel restrictions and roll out of COVID-19 vaccinations.

The report shows that massive job losses, disruptions in food value chains and multiple shocks of desert locusts saw an additional 30 million Africans pushed into extreme poverty in 2020.

“About 39 million more Africans could fall into extreme poverty in 2021 if governments do not intervene with food relief measures,” it reveals.

The report puts loss of jobs in 2020 at 30 million, 10 million higher from the previous forecast of 20 million in Deloitte’s previous …

The South African government last week announced a resumption in international visitors to the country amid a COVID- 19 infection reality. 

Earlier this year, South Africa, like many other countries, shut itself out from the world to control the spread of COVID within its borders. It immediately implemented local lockdowns which have been gradually lifted in different phases. 

Authorities had initially indicated that international borders were billed to be opened in February 2021. The country has, however, given the green light to international visitors in order to stimulate a faltering tourism sector.

Initially, borders were opened on October 1 but excluded visitors from many countries that were classified as high risk. 

Last week, the government updated its travel restrictions alert, opening up entry to all countries.

The opening up of borders is aimed at arousing the tourism sector in South Africa which contributes significantly to GDP. It has been …