Top 10 Destinations Globally With A Sharp Decline In International Tourist Arrivals In 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp decline in international tourist arrivals in many destinations all over the world. Major tourism markets have suffered an irreparable blow in 2020. The top 10 destinations globally with a sharp decline in international tourist arrivals – according to data from UNWTO- are China, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.

International tourist arrivals in China in 2020 dropped 84%. China suffered a lot due to COVID – 19 pandemic as the recorded drop at the international tourist arrivals the months between February and June reached 98%.

Second, in the list comes France with a 77% decline in international tourist arrivals from the beginning of 2020 till now. Third, in the list comes Turkey. There the decline in international tourist arrivals reached 75%. Next comes Spain (-72%) and closely follow Italy (-71%), Thailand (-66%), Germany (-64%), United Kingdom (-63%), United States (-60%) and Mexico (-41%).

Referring to the occupancy rates from the beginning of 2020 till now the region that had the smaller percentage is Italy (26%). A really significant fall taking into consideration that Italy is a very popular tourist destination all year round. Next comes Mexico. There the occupancy rates reached 29%. In third place comes Thailand (31%), while Spain (33%) and Germany (34%) follow at the 4^th and 5^th place of the list respectively. The occupancy rates in Turkey also reached 34% (like Germany), while in France the recorded percentage reached 38%. A little bit higher occupancy rates had been recorded in the United Kingdom (40%), in China (41%), and in the United States (44%).

Hotel bookings in 2020 dropped 74% in China, 65% both in Italy and Spain, 62% in Thailand, 57% in the United Kingdom, 54% in Turkey, 53% in Germany, 50% in Mexico, 49% in France, and 48% in the United States.

Generally speaking Asia and the Pacific had the most significant decline in international tourist arrivals all year round (-72%) with the recorded drop in North and East Asia reaching 83%. Next comes Europe (-66%). Here the most significant drop was recorded in Southern/Mediterranean Europe that reached 72%. The decline in both Africa and the Middle East reached 57%, in the Americas 55% with the most significant drop in the Caribbean (-58%).

The available airplane seats for domestic flights have dropped 53% in the Middle East, 48% in Africa, 46% in Europe, 41% in Asia and the Pacific, and 37% in the Americas. At the same time, the seating capacity for international flights dropped 61% for both Asia and the Pacific and Europe, 57% in the Middle East, 56% in Africa, and 53% in the Americas.

The actual air reservations from the beginning of 2020 till now have dropped 79% both in Europe and in Asia and the Pacific, 73% in Africa, and 72% both in the Americas and the Middle East. North America (-75%) and Central/Eastern Europe (-80%) had the sharpest decline in the Americas and in Europe respectively.

The occupancy rates only reached 28% in Africa, 33% in Europe, 39% in the Middle East, 40% in Asia and the Pacific, and 42% in the Americas. More specifically the occupancy rates in Central/Eastern Europe reached 28%, in Northern Europe 38%, in Southern/Mediterranean Europe 30%, and in Western Europe 34%. As fas as the Americas is concerned the occupancy rates only reached 30% in the Caribbean, 29% in Central America, 43% in North America, and 28% in South America.

Lastly, the hotel bookings have dropped 55% in Africa, 49% in the Americas, 58% in Asia and the Pacific, 54% in Europe, and 49% in the Middle East.

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