The blow that coronavirus has dealt to the global travel and tourism industry is set to do lingering damage to the world’s growth, economists warn, as areas that are dependent on visitors for their income struggle to reposition their local economies.
Tourism’s contribution to the global economy has risen over the past decade as the expansion of the middle class in emerging economies, particularly in Asia, translates into a rise in spending on leisure activities, including travel. The growth of low-cost travel has also boosted tourist numbers.
Globally, tourism accounts for one in four of all new jobs created over the past five years, on a net basis, and about 10 per cent of economic output, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.