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SARS fears may cut 30 % of travel jobs in affected countries
Geneva, May 14: About one-third of travel industry jobs in countries affected by the SARS virus may be cut because of the slump in travel caused by the outbreak, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said today.
Geneva, May 14: About one-third of travel industry jobs in countries affected by the SARS virus may be cut because of the slump in travel caused by the outbreak, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said today.
The ILO estimated in a new report that another five million jobs in the battered tourism industry worldwide -- about six percent of total employment in the sector -- may be
lost because of fears surrounding the potentially deadly new disease.
That would raise the total of job losses in the sector since late 2001 to about 11.5 million, following an ILO estimate in January of about 6.5 million job losses in the travel industry because of the global economic slowdown. An ILO official said the estimates on employment were based on "anecdotal evidence" and were extrapolated from data on travel activity such as hotel reservations or airline passenger numbers.
“These (figures) are rather conservative if we look at the possibility that the crisis might go on," Dirk Belau, an ILO travel industry employment specialist said. Most of the overall job losses, 30 percent, were expected in the countries in Asia which had been directly affected, such as Hong Kong, Guangdong province in China, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam, ILO said in a statement.
About 15 percent of travel jobs could be lost in neighbouring areas of the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand, and five percent in the rest of the world. Bureau Report
That would raise the total of job losses in the sector since late 2001 to about 11.5 million, following an ILO estimate in January of about 6.5 million job losses in the travel industry because of the global economic slowdown. An ILO official said the estimates on employment were based on "anecdotal evidence" and were extrapolated from data on travel activity such as hotel reservations or airline passenger numbers.
“These (figures) are rather conservative if we look at the possibility that the crisis might go on," Dirk Belau, an ILO travel industry employment specialist said. Most of the overall job losses, 30 percent, were expected in the countries in Asia which had been directly affected, such as Hong Kong, Guangdong province in China, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam, ILO said in a statement.
About 15 percent of travel jobs could be lost in neighbouring areas of the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand, and five percent in the rest of the world. Bureau Report