(ANSA) - ROME, SEPTEMBER 27 - There has never been a moment of crisis like this for tourism, certainly in the last 40 years.
That is since the UN decided that World Tourism Day would be celebrated on 27 September.
A day that today was celebrated with much hope but also with great concern.
Neither the global economic crisis of 2009, nor laSars, nor even the Twin Towers have managed to bring the sector to its knees like Covid-19.
Worldwide, arrivals of international tourists - according to UNWTO, the United Nations agency that deals with tourism - plummeted by 93% in June compared to the same month in 2019.
In the first half of 2020, there was an overall calorific of 65% with a loss of 440 million international arrivals and approximately 460 billion dollars in revenue.
One figure equal to 5 times the loss recorded in the crisis of 2009.
For Italy, where the presence of foreigners was abruptly zeroed and those of compatriots fell - according to Coldiretti's calculations - only during the 3 summer months there were 23 billion lost revenue.
But it is clearly the tip of the iceberg, because with infections that continue to rise and the situation is not good in many countries of the world, there is no improvement despite the aid provided by the Government and the recovery will be very slow.
Pope Francis took the field to bring his closeness to this sector so severely affected today.
"The pandemic has hit this sector hard for so many countries. I extend my encouragement to those who work in tourism, especially small family businesses and young people", he said, hoping that all the current problems and difficulties "may soon be resolved".
Minister DarioFranceschini appreciates the words of the Pontiff who defines them as "of extraordinary importance to make it clear to all Italian and European political decision-makers that tourism is the sector most dramatically hit by the crisis".
"When this parenthesis ends - says the minister - tourism in Italy will return stronger and more impetuous than before".
(HANDLE).
