Three million British travel and tourism jobs on verge of disappearing due to coronavirus
NEARLY three million British travel and tourism jobs are on the verge of disappearing — while the economy is close to losing £142billion from the sector.
The dire warning comes from the World Travel & Tourism Council, which says its fears of a “worst case scenario” for the UK are being realised due to barriers to global travel.
This includes the Government’s quarantine measures and blanket travel restrictions, it said.
The Council added: “The confusing patchwork of bans, quarantines and international testing and tracing measures have deterred many people from travelling with the peak season all but wiped out.”
Its President & CEO Gloria Guevara said: “The jobs and livelihoods of millions of people who work throughout the sector are disappearing by the day, despite our warning this could happen.”
She pointed to an “international failure” to coordinate on the pandemic, adding: “However, we still have time to turn this around if we act together now as one and replace ineffective quarantines with comprehensive rapid testing, a worldwide accepted standard of contact tracing and widespread face mask usage.”
Separate findings published yesterday show that more than three-quarters of hospitality businesses in the UK believe they are at risk of insolvency within 12 months due to the lingering effects of Covid-19.
That represents 118,000 firms in total according to UKHospitality.
The trade body warns that unless further “decisive support” is provided by the Government, many businesses will face ruin, with hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk.
Its CEO Kate Nicholls said: “The future of this sector, which provides jobs in every region of the country and is central to our social lives, has never looked shakier.
“This means we need to see an extension of the business rates holiday and VAT cut, employment support for those businesses unable to open and financial support on rent. Otherwise, we are going to see businesses fail and jobs lost just as the economy begins to reopen.”
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