The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has wrought unprecedented devastation on tourism in Asia and the Pacific. Tourism arrivals fell by 84% in 2020 compared to 2019, making it the worst affected region in the world. Countries heavily dependent on tourism also experienced the largest fall in economic output. This abrupt drop demonstrated the importance of tourism for the region, but also placed a spotlight on its negative impacts. Decreased economic activity—including tourism—resulted in the largest annual reduction in CO2 emissions in more than 70 years, for example. Furthermore, natural sites suffering from overtourism prior to the pandemic started to recover. This report explores the contributions of the tourism sector to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) before, during, and after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. It provides concrete recommendations on how policymakers and industry stakeholders can leverage tourism to foster sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.
