THE IMPACT OF COVID PANDEMIC ON TOURISM SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

Jasmina Risteska PhD Student /Факултет за туризам и угостителство, УКЛО

Abstract: Over the last few decades, tourism is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing economic sectors in the world. With the continuous development tourism is experiencing constant growth and development, thus becoming one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy in the world. The dynamic development of the tourism sector has contributed to increased mobility of tourists with the “disappearance of distance” presenting itself as a catalyst for changes in the environment and has a strong impact on tourism trends. The Covid-19 virus pandemic has had a devastating effect on the global economy, which has hit the tourism sector hard. Given the strategies taken and the necessary measures to dampen the impact of the pandemic, it seems unlikely that tourism will return to normal any time soon. Even after the progressive lifting of restraint measures, surviving travel companies will continue to face the challenges of a likely slow recovery. Together with the energy industry, tourism and hospitality are some of the world’s largest employers. However, unlike the energy industry, tourism and hospitality are less necessary and therefore very sensitive to significant shocks like this pandemic. It is essential to examine how the tourism sector will recover after Covid-19 and how this sector can be made sustainable in a dramatically changed world.

Keywords: tourism sector, covid pandemic, post-covid tourism, future forecasts