EU: Tourism suffers due to pandemic measures

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - The novel coronavirus pandemic hit the tourism industry in the EU deeply by reducing the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments 44% in the January-April period on a yearly basis.

"During the early part of 2020, the tourism industry has suffered as a result of travel restrictions implemented in response to the Covid-19 outbreak," the 27-member bloc's statistical authority said on Thursday.

Eurostat noted that March and April were the worst months with declines of 62% and 95% year-on-year, respectively.

"Prior to the pandemic, there had been a small improvement in the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation, with increases of 5% and 6% in January and February, respectively," it added.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which first appeared in China last December, has spread to the all around the world and affected several economic activities due to the measures, such as travel bans and tourism restrictions.

The travel and tourism sectors were among the most affected sectors globally.