Italy and Spain are, together with the USA, the countries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic both in terms of infections and deaths from COVID-19. Added to this impact is their economic vulnerability to the consequences of the pandemic, such as the cessation of all industrial activity, which has come to a complete halt in recent weeks and is unlikely to return to normal activity in the short term.
Tourism is and will be one of the most affected sectors, and according to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), travel and tourism contributed 14.3% and 13%, respectively, to the GDP of Spain and Italy last year, including direct contributions from hotels, travel agencies, airlines, restaurants and others, as well as the effects of the billions of dollars or euros that tourists bring to their shores. This simple graph illustrates the importance of tourism in 2019 in the countries most affected by the coronavirus:
Article seen at: ECONOMIC IMPACT OF COVID-19 Who's Most Vulnerable to COVID-19's Impact on Tourism? (Statista)
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