Tourism is one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Representing 10% of GDP and the same percentage of the total workforce of the EU, the health of the tourism industry has major repercussions for the whole economy. As Europe slowly emerges from lockdown, nations are gradually opening their borders, their restaurants and their beaches, fully aware that without tourists, a wider economic recovery is in jeopardy.
Tourism
Holidays in the coronavirus-era
Pandemic slashes international tourism by 70%: UN
International tourists arrivals plunged by 70 percent during the first eight months of 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the World Tourism Organization (WTO)
Heathrow says Paris now Europe’s busiest airport
London Heathrow has said Paris Charles de Gaulle had overtaken it to become Europe's top airport in terms of passenger numbers, blaming delayed coronavirus testing and travel restrictions.
Spain foreign tourist arrivals fell 75% in July
Foreign tourist arrivals in Spain plummeted by 75% year-on-year in July despite the reopening of borders in the world's second-most popular tourist destination, official figures show
Europeans warned not to forget virus as temperatures soar
Sun-seekers flocked to beaches as parts of western Europe baked in a heatwave, but authorities urged people to avoid crowded areas and wear masks over concerns at rising numbers of coronavirus cases
Jobless and desperate: the post-lockdown reality for many
Many workers' lives have been upended by the coronavirus pandemic, as job losses in tourism, air travel, food and drink or other industries hit those both on fixed contracts and in the informal sector
Motorhomes come of age as Europe relaxes lockdowns
With social distancing the new norm across Europe there has been a shift in thinking about holidays, with one survey showing 83% of Spaniards planned to use their own car over public transport