$1b Kuwait travel sector loss in 2020 due to COVID-19

The Arab Organisation for Tourism and the Arab Air Transport Association report has predicted that the number of travellers to and from Kuwait will decrease by about 5 million passengers during the year 2020 compared to 2019, according to Alanba newspaper.

The report, dealing with graphical analyses on the effects of the coronavirus on the tourism and aviation sectors, indicated that passenger revenues will decline by about one billion dollars during the current year, as a result of the suspension of air traffic in the country and the closure of the airport, in addition to the closure of airports in most of the world.

The report predicted that the number of tourists to and from the Arab world will decrease by 40% compared to last year, with a decrease in revenues likely to reach $28 billion, and a decrease in the contribution of the aviation sector to Arab gross output by about $65 billion.

The report indicated that, despite the stopping of passenger traffic, some countries have evacuated their citizens through charter flights, and set health standards recommended by the World Health Organisation and the European Aviation Safety Agency, to protect workers, crews and passengers on those flights.