WTTC: 770,000 Jobs Lost to COVID-19 In Nigeria’s Tourism Industry

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said on Monday, that the tourism industry in Nigeria lost 770,000 jobs as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country.

WTTC made this known through the Nigerian Economic Summit Group. It also added that about $4.5tn was lost by the industry globally owing to the impact of the novel virus.

The Regional Director, WTC, Andrew Brown, stated this in a statement that was made available to the press in Abuja by the NESG on the group’s recent forum that focused on the development of Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality sectors.

He likewise revealed that women accounted for 54 per cent of all jobs in travel and tourism, adding that stakeholders should continue to encourage all activities that would foster an equitable environment that would allow women thrive in the workplace.

Brown stated that before the outbreak of COVID-19, travel and tourism accounted for 330 million jobs worldwide and that the figure was projected to grow to 440 million by 2030.

He further encouraged operators in the industry to adopt safe travel steps and implement protocols that would help travellers feel safe when they travel.

It was also gathered through opinion sampling that viability of job recovery in the Nigeria’s tourism sector is slim until covid-19 is totally defeated across the world.