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SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AFTER COVID-19: INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

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.