UN: Mass vaccination to lead to tourism recovery

The high level of vaccination of the population and the wider adoption of digital technologies will lead to an increase in international tourism, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Report informs referring to TASS.

Destinations where vaccination rates are higher and where governments can work together on agreed rules have more room for tourism recovery, the UNWTO said in a statement.

The organization also notes that regional differences in travel restrictions persist. Seventy percent of all destinations in the Asia Pacific are fully closed, compared with just 13 percent in Europe, 20 percent in the Americas, 19 percent in Africa, and 31 percent in the Middle East. In most cases, travel restrictions continue to apply to fully vaccinated passengers (who received two doses of the approved vaccine). The situation is expected to change significantly in the coming weeks.

Governments play an essential role in the renewal and restoration of tourism through cooperation, the use of data, and digital technologies, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said.

Only three countries globally – Albania, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic – are entirely open to tourists without any restrictions. As of June 1, 2021, 29 percent of all travel destinations worldwide are wholly closed to international tourism.