ИНДУСТРИЯ ТУРИЗМА: ПОТЕРИ И ПРИОБРЕТЕНИЯ В ПЕРИОД ПАНДЕМИИ

Abstract

The pandemic of coronavirus COVID-19 showed the importance of the tourism industry for the economies of countries and the world economy as a whole. The tourism industry has suffered catastrophic damage, facing the most serious challenge of its existence. According to estimates by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourism revenues in 2020 decreased by $1.3 trillion, which is 11 times higher than the losses from the 2009 crisis. UNWTO believes that the restoration of the sector will occur no earlier than 2023. According to Andrei Ignatiev, president of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT), the Russian tourism industry has lost 1.5 trillion rubles due to the COVID-19 pandemic as a whole. Quite optimistic is the statement of the director of the Association of Tour Operators (ATOR) Maya Lomidze that the restoration of the industry is possible no earlier than the end of 2021 or mid-2022. Obviously, without state support and the continuation of measures already being implemented, it will be extremely problematic to get out of the crisis for this industry. Many participants in the tourism business managed to stay afloat thanks to the introduction and development of new digital platforms and immersive technologies. Today, due to restrictions on entry into many countries, the tourism business is expanding the opportunities associated with domestic tourism. But here there are a number of objective difficulties, such as the serious requirements of Rospotrebnadzor for accommodation facilities, sightseeing services, museums and cultural institutions, the lack of financial resources to ensure the requirements and others. But the increase in vaccination leads to an increase in the desire of consumers to travel, which requires a range of measures to develop measures to support tourism business entities and ensure travel safety, both within the framework of domestic tourism and on international trips.