Covid-19 Impact on tourism economy

Low cost carrier easyJet will ground the majority of its fleet of aircraft from March 24 onwards, following country lockdowns and travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Greece is suspending the operation of year-round hotels until the end of April, amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Six out of 10 small and medium-sized businesses may suffer the blow of the coronavirus health crisis as they watch their sales plummet, an Endeavor Greece study reveals.

Emergency aid of up to $200 billion is required for airlines due to the evaporation of air travel demand caused by Covid-19, says IATA.

The WTTC is calling on all governments for immediate action to help ensure the survival of the travel and tourism sector, following the global spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Jobs in the services sector, tourism, travel and retail are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus health crisis, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Thousands of travelers are likely to face disruption and inconvenience after the United States said it was suspending all routine visa services due to Covid-19.

Airlines are requesting flexibility to offer rebookings or vouchers in place of refunds to passengers due to the Covid-19 situation.

Lufthansa Group is cutting 95 percent of capacity, temporarily parking 700 of its 763 aircraft, as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The coronavirus outbreak is expected to have serious repercussions on Greece’s tourism industry, threatening thousands of jobs, according to the KEPE research center.

Air cargo operations should be excluded from any Covid-19-related travel restrictions to ensure life-saving medical products can be transported without disruptions, says IATA.

As Covid-19 has brought tourism to a standstill, European travel agents and tour operators are calling for a more flexible application of refund rules for package travel.

Ellinair has announced the temporary suspension of its flight schedule in response to the travel restrictions applied due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Singapore Airlines is suspending additional services across its network after the decision of countries around the world to impose border controls to stem the Covid-19 outbreak.

From March 24 Ryanair expects to ground almost all routes, except for a small number of flights to maintain essential connectivity, mostly between the UK and Ireland.

Cancellations up until now at Greek hotels, due to the coronavirus outbreak, are estimated to have cost 522 million euros in losses for the industry.

Over 185,000 passenger flights have been cancelled since the end of January in response to government travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to IATA.

The Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) is temporarily suspending its international promotional campaign of Greece due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Greek airline company AEGEAN is temporarily cutting the majority of flights in its international network, following the elevation of the Covid-19 virus to pandemic status.

Austrian Airlines is temporarily terminating all regular flight operations as of March 18 due to entry bans being imposed across the globe to limit the spread of the coronavirus.