Tag Archives: travel restrictions

The WHO recommended at the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on COVID-19 that, the nations should remove the travel bans and restrictions. As per report, they do not provide value and continue to contribute to the economic and social stress and further stated that these restrictions have been incompetent in capping the international spread of the Omicron variant.

UNWTO’s Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, has said that commitment to international cooperation will be important as we move forward and rebuild confidence and trust. “Restarting our sector must be done in a timely and responsible manner, avoiding all costs coming at the expense of fair and equal treatment of tourists,” he said. The World Committee on Tourism Ethics, an independent body convened by UNWTO, has stressed on the importance of safeguarding the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism as travel restrictions are eased.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted all destinations worldwide to introduce restrictions on travel, research by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has found. The data shows that shows that 100% of destinations now have restrictions in place and 72% of them have completely closed their borders to international tourism. UNWTO has found that 83% of destinations in Europe have introduced complete closure of borders for international tourism. In the Americas, this proportion stands at 80%, in Asia and the Pacific it is 70%, in the Middle East it is 62% and in Africa it is 57%. Out of all 217 destinations worldwide, 156 (72%) have placed a complete stop on international tourism according to the data collected as of 27 April 2020. In 25% of destinations, restrictions have been in place for at least three months, while in 40% of destinations, restrictions were introduced at least two months ago. Most importantly, the research also found that no destination has so far lifted or eased travel restrictions. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UNWTO said, “Tourism has been the hardest hit of all the major sectors as countries lockdown and people stay at home. UNWTO calls on governments to work together to coordinate the easing and lifting of restrictions in a timely and responsible manner, when it is deemed safe to do so. Tourism is a lifeline to millions, especially in the developing world. Opening the world up to tourism again will save jobs, protect livelihoods and enable our sector to resume its vital role in driving sustainable development.”