Published on : Wednesday, March 17, 2021
The UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report provides a wide-ranging overview of the regulations for 217 destinations worldwide. While previous editions exhibited a movement towards easing or lifting of travel restrictions, the latest report shows that constant seriousness of the epidemiological situation has made governments to adopt a more vigilant approach.
As of the beginning of February, 32 per cent of all destinations globally (69 in total) are fully closed for international tourism. Of these, around just over half (38 destinations) are closed for at least 40 weeks. Simultaneously, 34 per cent of worldwide destinations are now partially closed to international tourists.
To quote the UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Polilikashvili, “Travel restrictions have been widely used to restrict the spread of the virus. Now, as we work to restart tourism, we must recognise that restrictions are just one part of the solution. Their use must be based on the latest data and analysis and consistently reviewed so as to allow for the safe and responsible restart of a sector upon which many millions of businesses and jobs depend.”
The ninth edition of the UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report shows that regional differences concerning travel restrictions shut down for tourists, 30 are in Asia and the Pacific, 15 in Europe, 11 in Africa, 10 in the Americas and three in the Middle East.
At the same time, the UNWTO research also indicates a tendency towards adopting a more nuanced, evidence and risk-based approach towards implementing travel restrictions. An increasing number of destinations worldwide now require international tourists to present a negative PCR or antigen test upon arrival along with contact details for tracing purposes.
Tags: UNWTO
|
||||
   
|
||||
  |
||||
