How did the Coronavirus pandemic affect the world's travel and tourism industry? Here are some up-to-date statistics you might find useful and interesting!
When the Coronavirus pandemic hit us back in early 2020, the whole world was put on pause.
But no industry has been more affected than travel and tourism!
Across the globe, travelling between countries became impossible, which in 2020 caused international tourist arrivals to fall by 72.4%.
For countries like Hong Kong, Vanuatu, and Bhutan, they saw a -100% decrease in international visitors.
Even the least affected region, Europe, still saw a 36% decline in global tourist arrivals between 2022 and 2019.
In today’s post, we’ve gathered some of the most interesting and crucial statistics about tourism before and after Covid-19.
Let’s dive in!
Sources: You will find the individual source for each stat listed underneath the data, but head to the end of the post for all the relevant links and articles used.
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There were approximately 404 million international tourist arrivals in 2020, which was 72.4% lower than the 2019 number.
In terms of the number of international trips taken, 1 billion international trips were taken in 2020, 30% less than the expected figure.
How did covid-19 impact the world tourism industry?
Because of Coronavirus pandemic, tourism declined sharply in 2020. The global international tourist arrivals fell by 72.4% in 2020. Asia and the Pacific had been the region that experienced the most drastic decrease in international tourist arrivals.
Important Coronavirus Travel & Tourism Statistics
Global international tourist arrivals fell by 72.4% in 2020.
The world region that has experienced the most drastic decline in international tourist arrivals is Asia and the Pacific, which is at -90% (137 million) in May 2022 compared to May 2019.
Many countries in Asia and the Pacific experienced a 100% fall in the number of international tourist arrivals between May 2019 and 2022, including Hong Kong, Vanuatu, and Bhutan.
The United States saw a 49% decrease in international tourist arrivals, or 11.9 million fewer in 2022 than in 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic had such a sudden, dramatic impact on business travel, which fell by 89%.
The overall travel and tourism market saw 62 million job losses in 2020.
Tourism makes up 88% of Aruba’s total export, making it the destination that was most vulnerable during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The hotel occupancy rate in Europe in May 2020 was only 13.3%, a dramatic drop from $82.3 in May 2019.
The potential loss in hotel business sales in the U.S. was $925 billion in 2020, due to the decreasing occupancy rates.
In 2020 during the pandemic, 50% of respondents made more last minute travel bookings.
International tourist arrival affected by Coronavirus
How did the Coronavirus impact international tourism?
1. The global international tourist arrivals fell by 72.4% in 2020.
[Statista]
2. In 2021, international tourist arrivals worldwide increased by 5.4% to 427 million.
[Statista]
However, the number is still very much below the 2019 and pre-pandemic levels.
3. As of May 2022, international tourist arrivals worldwide are still at -54% compared to May 2019. This is 291 million fewer international arrivals.
[UNWTO]
4. The world region that has experienced the most drastic decline in international tourist arrivals is Asia and the Pacific, which is at -90% (137 million) in May 2022 compared to May 2019.
[UNWTO]
5. Meanwhile, the Middle East sees a 54% decrease in international tourist arrivals between May 2019 and 2022.
[UNWTO]
6. The region least affected by the pandemic is Europe, but even they still record a 36% decline in international tourist arrivals in May 2022 compared to May 2019.
[UNWTO]
Coronavirus impact on Asia and the Pacific tourism
How did the Coronavirus pandemic impact tourism in Asia and the Pacific?
7. Many countries in Asia and the Pacific experienced a 100% fall in the number of international tourist arrivals between May 2019 and 2022, including Hong Kong, Vanuatu, and Bhutan.
[UNWTO]
8. Others saw equally significant decreases in international tourist arrivals over the last two years. The numbers in Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, and Japan all fell by at least 97%.
[UNWTO]
A lot of these countries depend on international visitors to liven up their tourism industry, but the pandemic travel restrictions have prevented such tourists to cross their borders.
9. Thailand’s international tourist arrivals plummeted by 15.4 million in 2022.
[UNWTO]
Thailand received 15.4 million fewer international tourist arrivals in 2022.
10. In Vietnam, there are 6.9 million fewer international tourist arrivals in 2022.
[UNWTO]
Vietnam also suffered significant loss in international tourist arrivals due to the pandemic.
11. South Korea had 6.4 million fewer international tourist arrivals in 2022 than in 2019.
[UNWTO]
Coronavirus impact on the Americas tourism
How did the Coronavirus pandemic impact tourism in the Americas?
12. In the Americas, South America experienced the most significant decline in international arrivals, at -64% in 2022 compared to 2019.
[UNWTO]
South America had a huge decline in international arrivals from 2019.
13. The percentage is largest in Chile (80%), but Argentina saw the highest decline in terms of number (2.2 million fewer international arrivals).
[UNWTO]
The country in the Americas that had the highest decrease of international arrivals in terms of numbers was Argentina.
14. The United States saw a 49% decrease in international tourist arrivals, or 11.9 million fewer in 2022 than in 2019.
47. Between January and March 2020, the number of active Airbnb properties in the U.S. dwindled by around 50 thousand.
[Statista]
Travel companies and vacation rental sites like Airbnb experienced significant losses and other consequences because of the pandemic.
48. The drop was more significant in China, with its 700 thousand active Airbnb listings in January 2020 becoming only 599 thousand in March of the same year.
[Statista]
49. A survey conducted during the pandemic revealed that 62% of respondents preferred using a hotel app for check-ins and check-outs, compared to 30% preferring to use a website.
[Statista]
50. The potential loss in hotel business sales in the U.S. was $925 billion in 2020, due to the decreasing occupancy rates.
[Statista]
51. In Spain in March 2020, there was a 40% increase in hotel reservation cancellations compared to the previous month.
[Statista]
The Spanish region most affected by the pandemic was the Canary Islands, which had 127% more hotel cancellations in March than in February 2020.
52. Following the pandemic, Google searches for "glamping holidays UK" and "UK staycation" increased by 400%.
[Statista]
In terms of alternative accommodations, UK Google search for "glamping holidays UK" and "UK staycation" multiplied by roughly 4x.
How Coronavirus affects traveller opinions
How did the pandemic impact traveller’s behaviors and opinions?
53. In 2020 during the pandemic, 50% of respondents made more last minute travel bookings.
54. In December 2020, 76% of travellers around the world expect companies to offer special prices and discounts after the pandemic in order to improve sales.
[Statista]
55. 70% of German travellers claimed that their 2021 travel budget wouldn’t change because of the pandemic, while 20% stated that their budget would shrink.
[Statista]
56. Meanwhile, 59% of American travellers expected their 2021 travel budget to stay the same, while 34% expected it to decrease.
[Statista]
57. 65% of solo travellers also stated that they preferred if both fellow travellers and staff were vaccinated against Coronavirus.
[Statista]
This data is from a survey of solo travellers in 2021, which revealed that more than 65% of them wanted passengers and travellers to be vaccinated when they travel.
58. Roughly 4 in 10 baby boomers considered it unsafe to travel during the Covid-19 pandemic, significantly more than 26% of millennials who think so.
Coronavirus had undoubtedly been a major blow for the global travel and tourism industry.
Travel plans were cancelled as borders closed up between countries, and the uncertainty had put millions of people employed in tourism and hospitality out of jobs.
Of course, destinations that rely on international tourists for their economy had been the ones who suffered the most.
But it’s safe to say that most countries have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
We’ve tried to be super comprehensive with these stats, but let us know if there was any other aspect you would have liked to see included.
Disclaimer: Fully research your destination prior to travel, or any products prior to purchase. We can accept no responsibility for anything you experience as a result of the information found on this website. Some posts may contain affiliate links, which means we receive a small commission for some purchases, at no additional expense to you. Read more here.
I'm an Economics graduate with a passion for travel. In 2016 I decided to ditch the office environment, work from my laptop and travel to every country in the world. You'll find me working out of a cafe in Bali, perhaps on a riverboat in Brazil or maybe even an airport lounge in New Delhi.
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