Night Stay Bookings In EU Fell From January-August By 50% Year-on-Year - Eurostat

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th November, 2020) The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the tourism industry across Europe, as the number of nights booked by tourists in hotels and other accommodations saw a twofold decrease from January to August compared to the same period in 2019, the EU statistical office, Eurostat, said on Wednesday.

In a bid to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus disease, European countries have taken a variety of measures including lockdowns and restrictions on air traffic in the first quarter of 2020.

"In 2020, the tourism industry has suffered from the COVID-19 outbreak. ... From January to August 2020, the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments in the EU, such as hotels, holiday and other short-stay accommodation and campings, totalled 1.1 billion, a decline of 50% from January-August 2019," Eurostat said in a press release.

The sharpest declines in nigh stay by tourists across the EU were recorded in April � 95 percent, and in May � 89 percent, compared to the same period last year.

"In the summer period, there was only a partial recovery, with falls of 71% in June, 42% in July and 32% in August. In the period July-August 2020, the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments decreased by 37% compared to the same period in 2019," Eurostat added.

In July-August, there was a stronger decline for foreigners rather than for domestic tourists � 60 percent and 17 percent year-on-year, respectively.

Europe remains the second worst-hit region by the pandemic after the Americas. The European Economic Area countries and the United Kingdom have confirmed over 16 million cases, including more than 383,000 deaths, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.