UNWTO and ABD considering 'aid for trade' and other strategies to support Asia tourism recovery

Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) partnered (26-Mar-2021) to explore the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on global tourism and development across Asia Pacific. According to ADB estimates, a full recovery for the sector is only expected by 2023 at the earliest. Promotion of domestic tourism, as well as the creation of 'travel bubbles' that would allow travel to resume between certain destinations, have been highlighted as potential strategies for driving recovery in the short term. ABD is also exploring how 'aid-for-trade' can be used to build greater sustainability and resilience in the tourism sector. Both ADB and UNWTO also reiterated the importance of international cooperation and the harmonisation of policies, both to restart international tourism and then to monitor and guide future growth to ensure the sector delivers on its potential to drive sustainable development. [more - original PR]