The organisation believes EU member states have the "power to influence and drive forward" the coordinated recovery effort needed to "preserve" the sector.

According to research by the WTTC, up to 900,000 travel jobs will also be at risk across the EU if restrictions are reimposed this winter.

The WTTC, along with the European Travel Commission (ETC), has stressed that measures aiming at restricting border crossing would "not have any health benefits", but could result in a "huge" economic impact to the region.

Julia Simpson, WTTC president and chief, said "we urgently need to restore the confidence to travel" and not "create more uncertainty".

"It is vital we have a properly coordinated response across the EU which both businesses and travellers can understand," she added.

"The vaccination roll-out across the EU is among the best in the world with 65% of the population now fully vaccinated. We cannot afford to let all the hard-earned progress made this year to be reversed."