Zurab Pololikashvili
Secretary general of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
Despite the global vaccine roll out, the world still faces paralyzing uncertainty. The third wave of COVID-19 has caused countries to close travel corridors and even introduce forced hotel quarantine for all arrivals. It’s safe to say that global tourism stands at a crucial juncture, stuck between an ongoing crisis and the welcome prospect of revitalization in the near future.
But to ensure everyone from some of tourism and aviation’s biggest names to the smallest family business remain solvent in this last lap of the pandemic, governments must deliver an urgent wave of support for the sector. Millions of jobs around the world — and indeed, the global economy — depend on it. And that is not all. Tourism is a proven driver of equality and opportunity, not least for youth, women and rural communities. It also plays a vital role in the preservation of our natural and cultural heritage.
International tourism can thrive again — but not without political will.
After all, for many people, tourism does not just mean unwinding on the beach or exploring new cities. It means a roof over their heads and food on the table. And make no mistake, COVID-19 has dealt global tourism a near-fatal blow — 1 billion fewer international tourist arrivals in 2020, a staggering loss of $1.3 trillion to global export revenues and of millions of jobs along the way. This is a major setback to the global economy, setting tourism back to 1990 levels, with arrivals falling by 74 per cent.
But it’s especially devastating to those countries and communities where tourism is often the primary, if not the only, source of jobs and revenue. These people simply won’t survive without an income until vaccines are rolled out worldwide.
Faced with a global problem, it is vital the global community work toward a global solution. As part of the United Nations, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has the unrivalled ability to provide just that as a way of salvaging a core component of the wounded global economy.
This is why last month, UNWTO’s Crisis Committee and the Organization’s Executive Council convened international leaders in Madrid to explore a strong and consistent response that protects the sector whilst not compromising on travellers’ safety.
In that spirit, we developed the Common Travel Protocols to allow the return of safe, seamless, international tourism. We are also working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) and actors from across our sector, including governments, destinations and airlines, to explore a number of potential solutions. These include Public Health Corridors, introduced as part of a joined-up approach and complementing other key measures, vaccines and so-called health passports among them.
A Public Health Corridor is formed when countries agree to recognize the public health mitigation measures each has implemented on the routes between them. To enable this mutual recognition, countries are strongly encouraged to actively share information and form multilateral agreements.
There is no more crucial time than now to scale up these efforts globally, helping transform national borders into international checkpoints in the fight against COVID-19.
Powerful blocs like the EU can deploy and model the multinational approach to testing and track-and-trace, a critical step in the realization of safe and secure tourism. Failing to introduce such a system and instead simply waiting for a vaccine could well be the final nail in the coffin of the tourism sector.
Vaccines can certainly play an important role in restarting tourism this year. Yet, making vaccination a mandatory prerequisite for travel is not the solution to the global crisis considering vaccines are being distributed according to varying timetables by different governments — with limited benefits in the context of international travel.
Similarly, existing one-to-two-week quarantines for travellers are too onerous and unreliable to bring tourism back. The cost alone for travellers to add these self-quarantines to their itineraries is often prohibitive, standing in the way of UNWTO’s vision for tourism that is inclusive, accessible and non-discriminatory.
Instead, rapid testing at airports will provide robust assurance to travellers that their journey will be safe while at the same time reassuring destinations that incoming visitors pose no threat. Evidence shows that screening at national borders — successfully implemented by several governments — is an effective way to slow the spread of the virus and would reduce the mandatory quarantine period.
As welcome as this progress is, however, it is possible and desirable, to go further. The introduction of a global system of airport testing, the coordination of vaccination certificates as well as the establishment of Public Health Corridors will ensure global tourism not only survives but can thrive again.
2021 will lay the foundations for the turning point for tourism. On the verge of mass vaccinations, there is reason to look to the new year with cautious optimism.
Even so, to restart tourism, to allow families to reunite after so long apart and to secure the livelihoods of millions around the world who depend on our sector — we need political support and stronger international coordination to make this a reality.
Tourism is defined by movement. We cannot waste this chance by standing idle.
© This article was originally published in The Toronto Star
