According to figures released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the tourism sector suffered an estimated loss of US$2.4 trillion worldwide as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This loss was particularly felt by island communities around the world, whose GDPs tend to be heavily reliant on tourism.
This loss of revenue has caused these communities to come up with creative solutions to help revive the tourism sector. These solutions include special visas for remote workers and digital nomads.
The context of the pandemic made the session that focused on tourism of particular interest to the audience of last month’s Virtual Island Summit. Entitled Innovation and the Future of Tourism, the discussion focused on the role of sustainable tourism attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. There was an insightful exploration of case studies based on innovative and green tourism initiatives, with a look ahead at how the tourism industry can recover beyond the global pandemic.
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