The borders, which were closed due to the Corona virus epidemic, were reopened, and the countries started to host tourists who are very important for the economy.But things are not going well in Europe, the world's most visited continent. According to the news on CNN, there is a big decrease in the number of tourists.TUI, the world's largest tour operator, announced that bookings made between June and early August decreased by 81 percent compared to the same period last year.The company was able to sell only 16 percent of the vacation programs it created for this summer. Also, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, it is estimated that 197 million jobs could be lost worldwide.
SECOND QUARTER LOSS 1.1 BILLION EURO
TUI, headquartered in Germany, employs 70,000 people and is a large company that operates many cruise ships, five airports and 400 hotels.In the statement made by TUI, it was stated that 1.1 billion euro operating loss occurred in the second quarter of the year.Reservations for the next winter holiday have also decreased by 40 percent compared to the same period of the last year.After these developments, TUI decided to reduce its capacity by one fifth for the next summer.The company borrowed 2.9 billion euros from the German government.TUI does not expect things to return to normal before 2022.Due to the uncertainty, a financial forecast for 2020 cannot be made.
THE NUMBER OF TOURISTS COMING TO EUROPE FALLED BY 44 PERCENT IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS
As the number of corona virus cases increased in some regions in Europe, quarantine began to be applied again.Finally, England added France, Netherlands, Monaco and Malta to the 'quarantine list' countries.Spain, Luxembourg and Belgium were previously included in the list.The UK stipulates a 14-day quarantine requirement for people from countries on this list.According to the data of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), despite the reopening of the borders, flights within Europe decreased by more than 50 percent compared to the same period of 2019.According to the European Travel Commission, the number of tourists coming to Europe in the first four months of the year fell 44 percent compared to 2019.
LOSS WORLDWIDE 5.5 TRILLION DOLLARS
The loss in the global gross domestic product will reach 5.5 trillion dollars.In European Union countries, it is estimated that 18.3 million people will be unemployed due to tourism.World Travel and Tourism Council President Gloria Guavera said, “Prohibitions, quarantines and uncoordinated international testing have confused people.For this reason, they preferred to stay at home during the peak holiday season of 2020.Governments around the world must work hand in hand with the private sector to boost tourism.Thus, things can come back to the old level ”.