Nearly 3 million jobs could be lost in the UK Travel and Tourism sector if barriers to global travel, such as quarantine measures and blanket anti-travel advisories remain in place, says the new research from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
The devastating figure comes from the WTTC economic model, which looks at the impact the Travel & Tourism sector faces amid local and global travel restrictions as a result of COVID-19.
In the worst case, where the restrictions were lifted after the summer, the impact would be more significant, putting a total of 2.9 million jobs at risk.
This represents an alarming 142% increase from the 1.2 million most recent jobs that the WTTC had previously estimated as threatened by the coronavirus pandemic.
Research shows that if these travel restrictions are removed sooner, it could save a staggering 1.7 million jobs.
The impact of prolonged travel restrictions could also wipe out $ 186 billion in the sector’s contribution to UK GDP, equivalent to a 73% drop compared to 2019.
Meanwhile, the UK would experience a sharp decline in visitor numbers of 73% for international arrivals and 71% for domestic arrivals.
Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Our new modelling reveals the depth of the long-term crisis facing the UK Travel & Tourism industry if travel restrictions, such as the 14-day quarantine measures introduced by Government this week and the FCO travel advisory continue for some time.
“Under our worst-case scenario, prolonged travel restrictions could put nearly three million jobs under threat and cause a loss of more than $180 billion to Travel & Tourism GDP in the UK.
“The sector’s recovery risks being undermined by heavy-handed restrictions just as it emerges from one of the most punishing periods in its history – and it’s not just airlines who will bear the cost but the entire travel ecosystem.
“Hotels, destinations and travel agents will all suffer from the economic domino effect of prolonged restrictions on movement, plunging millions of travel businesses and their employees into financial ruin.”
(Source – ET Travel world
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