Revenue loss in the international tourism sector in 2020 caused by a decrease in travelers crossing borders is estimated at $1.3 trillion, on the back of strict travel bans imposed by countries amid the coronavirus pandemic, a U.N. body said.

Although the Covid pandemic has had a profound impact on the global tourism and hospitality sectors, experts say that Bangladesh can turn the tables by ensuring implementation of a proper plan.

This should have been a good year for global tourism, with trade tensions gradually easing, certain economies growing and banner events like the Summer Olympics taking place in Tokyo. But the viral outbreak in China has thrown the travel industry into chaos, threatening billions in losses and keeping millions of would-be travelers at home.

Tourism from China was already weakening even before a new virus forced much of the country into a standstill.