G20 tourism ministers agree to maximize travel sector's contribution to economy

Tourism Ministers of the Group of 20 (G20) agreed on Wednesday to maximize the tourism sector's contribution to inclusive and sustainable development.

The ministers urged for further developing the sector as a key and resilient industry, which will contribute to the global economy and generate decent work, according to a statement of the Saudi G20 Presidency issued after a meeting.

The officials addressed challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and steps to promote recovery of the sector.

The meeting said that the sector contributed to 10.3 percent of the world's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 330 million jobs in 2019.

The ministers said that the pandemic resulted in 60-80 percent decline in international tourism in 2020.

They vowed to continue to work together to facilitate the sector's recovery from the pandemic and support those most impacted by the crisis within the sector.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the G20 countries have been holding regular meetings to deal with the impacts of the deadly virus in various sectors.

During the G20 leaders' summit in March, the G20 leaders vowed to pump more than 5 trillion U.S. dollars into the international economy.