A staggering £22 billion ($29 billion) looks set to be lost from the U.K. economy due to the collapse of international travel during 2020, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
Travelers and tourists are staying away from the United Kingdom in droves because of continuing uncertainty around travel restrictions designed to curb the spread of COVID-19.
As a result, this year international visitor spending could plunge by 78 percent compared to 2019 levels, equating to a loss of £60 million ($80 million) a day, or £420 million ($560 million) a week, to the U.K. economy.
The severe impact on U.K. travel and tourism is laid bare by WTTC as the economic fallout from coronavirus continues to burn its way through the sector. Nearly 3 million jobs in the United Kingdom supported by travel and tourism are at risk of being lost in a “worst case” scenario mapped out by WTTC economic modeling.
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