“Economically speaking, the amount lost through tourism direct GDP was $4.2 trillion over the four years, which equates to roughly the value of Germany’s economy in 2021. It’s a loss that has been felt unevenly, however, as the report writers explain: “The COVID-19 pandemic caused the largest loss in tourism revenues and economic output in recorded history, impacting millions of jobs, small businesses and livelihoods all over world, particularly in emerging economy destinations such as small island developing states where tourism is more labor intensive and a major part of the balance of payments.”

Anna Fleck, Global Tourism’s Slow Recovery From the Pandemic [Statista]