Tourism-dependent economies face a second summer recession
As the spread of the coronavirus discourages tourists, emerging economies that rely on tourism have already been struggling with financial constraints and debt inflation before the pandemic, and they are calculating the cost of their second consecutive summer downturn.
According to data released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization in July, in the first five months of this year, the number of global international tourists dropped by an average of 85% from the 540 million before the 2019 pandemic. This is even worse than the same period last year, when the number of arrivals dropped by an average of 65% year-on-year.
SIR – I support Lt Cdr Brian Smith’s idea (Letters, April 16) that a new royal yacht should be named HMY Elizabeth and Philip, following the precedent of HMY Victoria and Albert.
Many ships acquire affectionate nicknames: HMS Endurance was known as the Red Plum, HMS Charybdis as Cherry B, and HMS Sheffield as Shiny Sheff.
If the idea is taken up, it won’t be too long before she is known as HMY Liz ’n’ Phil – affectionately, of course.
Cdr Peter Baseby RN (retd)
Kennington, Oxfordshire
SIR – The strict observance by the Queen and the Royal family of the current Covid rules showed their consideration and respect for all those who have died in the past year, and whose families had to cope with even tighter regulations as they laid their loved ones to rest.