The economies of countries dependent on tourism are clearly hurting, with visitor numbers plummeting as a result of the pandemic.
The Thai government estimates a loss of 100 billion Thai baht (over US$3 billion) in the first quarter of 2020 and a loss of about 1.45 million jobs as a result of this slump in tourism.
However, the actual loss cannot be captured in these numbers alone. Many cross-cultural exchange opportunities have been lost as well.
I spent much of the previous decade living in Chiang Mai, a medium-sized city in northern Thailand, which relies heavily on tourism. As a scholar who was studying the relationship between tourism and Buddhist temples in the region before the pandemic started, I am able to assess the impact of COVID-19 on these sites of religious importance.