Travel – be it international or domestic; business or leisure – came to a grinding halt as a result of the spread of COVID-19. In the first four months of the year, Europe reportedly witnessed a 44% decline in international tourist arrivals compared to the same period last year. Tourism job losses in Europe in 2020 could be massive – ranging between 14.2M to 29.5M.
The uncertainty in the sector still remains as COVID-19 cases have started to surge again in Europe. Many countries such as the UK and France have imposed nation-wide lockdown again, to curb the spread. The struggling sector is currently trying to offer all sorts of precautions in order to revive its consumer confidence. However, some travel startups are still proving to be quite resilient.