Pandemic led to 98 percent fall in international tourist numbers in May

Passengers arriving at Manchester airport.
(Image credit: ANTHONY DEVLIN/AFP via Getty Images)

As many would expect, the coronavirus pandemic has greatly affected the global tourism industry, the United Nations World Tourism Organization said Tuesday.

The latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer revealed that lockdowns have led to a 98 percent fall in international tourist numbers in May compared to 2019. Dating back to January, the year-over-year drop was 56 percent.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.