According to the “Turkey and the World Tourism Covid-19 Assessment Process” report of Turkey Travel Agencies Association (TURSAB), Tourism destinations across the globe suffered huge losses and opponents of Turkey in tourism this year has seen the bottom levels, when the epidemic emerged and spread rapidly.
Leaving the year 2020 behind in the coronavirus epidemic that affected the whole world, TURSAB prepared a report that evaluated the data and developments obtained during this process, the problems and changes of the sector.
In the ” Turkey and the World Tourism Covid-19 Assessment Process” report, the effects of the epidemic on the world economy, global consumer preferences, vaccination studies, safe travel recommendations and new travel trends are covered in a comprehensive way.
Coronavirus reversed the upward trend of tourism in the world
There was an average growth expectation of 3 percent in 2020 for the world economy in the pre-epidemic period, yet virus’ turning into an international epidemic caused the world economy to go into recession.
The economic picture reveals the damage caused by the epidemic in the tourism sector both in the countries that are Turkish main market, and in the rival Mediterranean countries.
According to IMF data, Greece is expected to shrink by 9.5 percent in economic terms in 2020, while Italy by 10.6 percent, Spain by 12.8 percent and France by 9.8 percent.
Economic downturn in Turkey’s main market is seen as 6 percent in Germany, 9.8 percent in England and 4.1 percent in Russia.
According to the data of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), while world tourism grew by 3.8 percent in 2019, the number of international travels increased to 1 billion 461 million and the revenues from international tourism reached $ 1.5 trillion. The coronavirus outbreak has completely reversed this upward trend.
Turkey’s competitors have achieved the worst figures in tourism this year
According to the report, tourism destinations across the globe suffered huge losses in 2020 when the epidemic emerged and spread rapidly. Looking at UNWTO data, Spanish tourism, one of Turkey’s leading competitors, decreased by 76 percent in the first 8 months, whereas Greece experienced a decrease of 81 percent in the first 7 months. Italy’s loss in tourism in the first 7 months of the year was 43 percent, Croatia, one of the rising destinations in the Mediterranean basin, experienced a 53 percent loss in the 8-month period. In Portugal, another important destination in the Mediterranean basin, the loss in the 8-month period was 40 percent, and the loss in Egypt was 82 percent.
According to the McKinsey report, looking at the scenarios prepared for the effects of the epidemic, it is stated that global tourism will recover until 2023-2024, but in this recovery, it will not see the 2019 level in terms of tourism expenditures before 2023.
Most visitors came from Russia, Germany, Bulgaria, Ukraine and UK
According to TURSAB report, the number of foreign visitors arriving in Turkey in 2019, the pre-epidemic period, was 45 million 58 thousand 286; the total number of visitors coming to Turkey in 2019 increase to 51.7 million people when citizens living abroad are added to this figure. However, in 2020, when the epidemic started, these numbers decreased significantly.
In the first ten-month period, the number of foreign visitors to Turkey, declined 72.5 percent compared to the same period of 2019. While the number of foreign visitors arriving in the January-October period of 2019 was 40.7 million, this number decreased to 11.2 million in 2020.
Russia took the first place among the countries that sent the most visitors in this period, followed by Germany, Bulgaria, Ukraine and England.
1975 accommodation facility in Turkey serve with “Safe Tourism Certificate”
According to the report of Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (by TGA), there are 1975 accommodation facility in Turkey serve with “Safe Tourism Certificate” as of November 24, 2020. Antalya ranks first with 374 facilities, while Istanbul ranks second with 373 facilities in the provincial distribution of hotels holding the “Safe Tourism Certificate”.
Coronavirus process increased interest in nature tourism
According to the report, the coronavirus outbreak is causing significant changes in travel trends around the world. During and after the epidemic process, during which hygiene comes to the fore, many changes in travel habits come to the fore. The epidemic process highlights different types of tourism. The tendency of people to stay away from crowded places has increased the interest in eco-tourism, that is, nature tourism. People started to prefer closer vacation regions where they can travel with their own vehicles, regions where they will be alone with nature, small and boutique hotels in terms of accommodation.
In this period, home tourism, boutique hotels, villa rentals, small group yacht tours and accommodation units such as caravans are also attracting great interest rather than large hotels.
It is observed that the interest in different cultures will continue in this process. Alternative tourism types such as nature and adventure come to the fore in this period. There is also a serious change in business tourism. In this period, online meeting techniques attract great attention.
Vaccine raise hopes
According to the report, while vaccination studies are continuing by different countries and companies around the world to control the coronavirus epidemic, the news that vaccination applications will begin towards the end of 2020 have raised hopes.
In addition to vaccination studies, it is noteworthy that different suggestions regarding various practices have been brought to the agenda in order to continue international travel safely within the framework of common standards, and studies in this direction have gained momentum.
source: AA / transated by Melisa Karayusufoglu