Tourism: One of the sectors hardest hit by COVID-19 – ZAWYA

Tourism: One of the sectors hardest hit by COVID-19 – ZAWYA

Tourism: One of the sectors hardest hit by COVID-19 | ZAWYA MENA Edition HomeBusinessArticleTourism: One of the sectors hardest hit by COVID-19 Tourism is big business. For some economies, it is a major part of their GDP    A beach lifeguard is seen at the Atlantis The Palm hotel, as the Emirates reopen to tourism amid coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Dubai, United Arab Emirates July 7, 2020. As Dubai opens its doors to foreign tourists, this is as good a time as any to look at the importance of tourism for the global economy.Since 1995, the tourism sector has more than tripled. That year, it contributed around $500 billion to the global economy. By 2019, the tourism sector had grown to $1.6 trillion.Tourism is big business. For some economies, it is a major part of their GDP. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, in 2019 tourism contributed 30 percent to Cambodia's GDP; 25 to that of Thailand; 20 percent to Greece; 15 percent to Austria; 12 percent to Spain; 11 percent to Tunisia; and 11.5 percent to Dubai. In 2018, Hajj and Umrah contributed $20 billion “” between 2 to 3 percent “” to the Saudi economy. Vision