World tourism leaders have been urged to execute crucial measures to save the travel and tourism sector, ahead of a special meeting of the G20 hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

The call was made by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, to prevent a catastrophic collapse following the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, putting up to 75 million jobs at immediate risk. 

WTTC implored the G20 leaders to assign resources and coordinate efforts to rescue major travel businesses such as airlines, cruises, hotels, GDS and technology companies, as well as the SME’s, such as travel agents, tour operators, restaurants, independent workers and the entire supply chain, in order to save the jobs of the 330 million people who rely on the industry for their livelihoods. 

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “The coronavirus pandemic has put the sector in unprecedented danger of collapse, which is looking increasingly likely unless a global rescue package is agreed to bolster what has become the backbone of the global economy.”

She explained that WTTC’s Economic Impact Report for 2020 reveals that the travel and tourism sector was responsible for generating one in four of all new jobs globally in 2019 and will have a crucial part to play in powering the global recovery. “It is therefore of paramount importance that the G20 take urgent action now to preserve the 75 million jobs at immediate risk, which would represent a crushing Travel & Tourism GDP loss to the world economy of up to USD 2.1 trillion in 2020 alone.”