The last time international tourist arrivals posted an annual decline was in 2009 when the global economic crisis led to a 4.0 per cent drop
International tourists arrivals plunged by an annualised 70 per cent during the first eight months of 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) said Tuesday.
The Northern Hemisphere's peak summer season was ravaged by travel restrictions, with tourist arrivals down by 81 per cent in July, and by 79 per cent in August, the Madrid-based UN body said in a statement.