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The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has released a set of guidelines to help tourism sector emerge stronger and more sustainably from COVID-19.

The guidelines highlight the need to act decisively, to restore confidence and, as UNWTO strengthens its partnership with Google, to embrace innovation and the digital transformation of global tourism.

The guidelines were produced in consultation with the Global Tourism Crisis Committee and aim to support governments and private sector to recover from an unparalleled crisis.

Depending on when travel restrictions are lifted, the United Nations specialised agency warns that international tourist arrivals could fall by between 60 per cent and 80 per cent.

This puts 100-120 million jobs at risk and could lead to $910 billion to $1.2 trillion lost in exports.

UNWTO Secretary-General, Mr Zurab Pololikashvili said: “These guidelines provive both governments and businesses with a comprehensive set of measures designed to help them open tourism up again in a safe, seamless and responsible manner.

They are the product of the enhanced cooperation that has characterised tourism’s response to this shared challenge, building on knowledge and inputs from across the public and private sectors and from several UN agencies as part of the UN’s wider response.”