The countries that are closed to tourism

<p>Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is shut to international visitors</p> (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is shut to international visitors

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

One in three destinations around the world are shut to international visitors, new research shows, as Covid travel restrictions choke off tourism.

Data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Travel Restrictions Report shows that new variants of Covid-19 have prompted governments to slam their doors shut on international tourists, with 69 destinations currently closed.

In the main, closures are most common in Asia, the Pacific and Europe, says the UNWTO, which monitored the regulations in 217 countries.

As of the beginning of February, 32 per cent of all destinations (69) are shut for tourism, including 30 places in Asia and the Pacific, and 15 in Europe, says UNWTO.

Meanwhile, 34 per cent of destinations are at least partially shut, and 32 per cent of all countries demand PCR tests from visitors (often combined with quarantine), the UNWTO found.

“Travel restrictions have been widely used to restrict the spread of the virus. Now, as we work to restart tourism, we must recognise that restrictions are just one part of the solution,” says UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Polilikashvili.

“Their use must be based on the latest data and analysis and consistently reviewed so as to allow for the safe and responsible restart of a sector upon which many millions of businesses and jobs depend.”

Currently, all leisure travel both within the UK and beyond is banned. According to the government roadmap, international travel will be permitted from 17 May at the earliest.

The destinations that have shut their borders to tourism, says UNWTO

  1. Algeria

  2. Angola

  3. Argentina

  4. Austria

  5. Belgium

  6. Benin

  7. Brunei Darussalam

  8. Bulgaria

  9. Burkina Faso

  10. Burundi

  11. Cambodia

  12. Cameroon

  13. Canada

  14. Cayman Islands

  15. Chile

  16. China

  17. Cook Islands

  18. Czech Republic

  19. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

  20. Denmark

  21. Equatorial Guinea

  22. Eritrea

  23. Fiji

  24. French Guyana

  25. French Polynesia

  26. Germany

  27. Hungary

  28. India

  29. Indonesia

  30. Iran

  31. Israel

  32. Japan

  33. Kazakhstan

  34. Laos

  35. Lesotho

  36. Madagascar

  37. Malaysia

  38. Marshall Islands

  39. Micronesia

  40. Mongolia

  41. Montserrat

  42. Myanmar

  43. New Caledonia

  44. New Zealand

  45. Niue

  46. Norway

  47. Palau

  48. The Philippines

  49. Poland

  50. Reunion

  51. Russia

  52. Samoa

  53. Saudi Arabia

  54. Slovakia

  55. Solomon Islands

  56. Suriname

  57. Syrian Arab Republic

  58. Taiwan

  59. Tajikistan

  60. Timor Leste

  61. Tonga

  62. Trinidad and Tobago

  63. Turkmenistan

  64. Tuvalu

  65. Uruguay

  66. Vanuatu

  67. Venezuela

  68. Vietnam

  69. Yemen

Note: Kuwait has since shut its borders completely to international visitors. The UNWTO report lists Kuwait as having “partially shut” borders.

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