The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in its release said that  International tourist arrivals declined by 87 percent year-on-year basis in January due to the Covid-19 pandemic,

After a fall of 74 percent in 2020 due to the global pandemic, "all world regions continued to experience large drops in tourist arrivals in the first month of the year", Xinhua news agency quoted the Madrid-based UNWTO as saying in its World Tourism Barometer on Wednesday.

"In addition, the speed and distribution of the vaccination roll-out have been slower than expected, further delaying the restart of tourism," it said.

Mandatory testing, quarantines, and in some cases the complete closure of borders, have all hindered the resumption of international travel, the Organization said.

Asia and the Pacific region witnessed a 96 percent fall in international tourist arrivals in January, while there was an 85 percent drop in Europe and Africa respectively, 84 percent in the Middle East and 77 percent in the Americas.

"(The year of) 2020 was the worst year on record for tourism. The international community needs to take strong and urgent action to ensure a brighter 2021," UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili was quoted as saying in a statement. He asked for "improved coordination between countries", and urged for "harmonized travel and health protocols" to restore confidence in tourism and allow international travel to resume safely ahead of the peak summer season in the Northern Hemisphere.

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