International tourism to plunge up to 80% due to virus: UN

Tourist arrivals fell by 22 percent in the first quarter of the year, with Asia and Europe suffering the deepest declines. Above, visitors at Gyeongbok Palace, the main royal palace during the Joseon Dynasty, in Seoul, South Korea. (AP)

• Tourist arrivals fell by 22 percent in the first quarter of the year

MADRID: The number of international tourist arrivals will plunge by 60 to 80 percent in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Tourism Organization said Thursday, revising a previous forecast of a 20-30 percent drop.
Tourist arrivals fell by 22 percent in the first quarter of the year, with Asia and Europe suffering the biggest declines, the Madrid-based UN body said in a statement.