New UNWTO data reveals international tourist arrivals to the end of May 2021 were 85% down on the same period in 2019, and 65% down on 2020.
It said the emergence of new Covid-19 variants and the persistence of global travel restrictions were "weighing" on the recovery of international travel, although the UNWTO did acknowledge a rebound for domestic tourism "in many parts of the world" with domestic air seat capacity in China and Russia already exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
During the first five months of the year, destinations the world over recorded 147 million few international arrivals compared to the same period in 2020 and 460 million fewer than in 2019.
