Posted on 22 September 2021
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimates that the drop in international arrivals caused a loss of up to US$2.4 trillion in GDP in 2020 and that it is possible that a similar loss will occur again this year.
Although COVID lockdowns severely affected the financial wellbeing of people dependent on tourism, the social, mental and physical well-being of South Pacific islanders living in the region’s main tourist destinations actually showed improvements, according to a study.
The study surveyed people in Samoa, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands and Fiji — countries that heavily rely on tourism for between 12.5% and 87% of their GDP, according to the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.