Next Vacay has created a powerful video working with suffering locals from many beach and tourist destinations following the journey of the hardest-hit holiday spots across the world, capturing their desperate calls for help via SOS signs carved into their coastlines.
Cyprus came in a close second on Next Vacay’s list, with the average search for 'holidays in Cyprus' decreasing by 45 percent over 12 months. Known for the birthplace of Aphrodite, halloumi, and beautiful beaches, visitor numbers were slashed by 84,12 percent from 2019 to 2020. This led to a visitor shortfall of 278,764 people in 2020.
In first place on Next Vacay’s list, Pre-pandemic, the stunning region of Macau along China’s south coast was thriving off the 3,28 million tourists it received each month, looking to explore its vibrant nightlife and culture. But with 72 percent of the community's income generated through tourism, the locals suffered a hit to their finances when COVID-19 halted international travel. Monthly visitor numbers dropped to 491,419 on average making it the worst-hit location.
The 10 destinations with the biggest drop in visitors
|
No. |
Country |
No. of Monthly Visitors in 2019 |
No. of Monthly Visitors in 2020 |
Drop in Visitors |
% Drop in Yearly Visitors (2019/2020) |
|
1 |
Macau |
3,283,848 |
491,419 |
2,792,429 |
-85.04% |
|
2 |
Cyprus |
331,398 |
52,634 |
278,764 |
-84.12% |
|
3 |
Malaysia |
2,175,065 |
361,060 |
1,814,005 |
-83.40% |
|
4 |
Thailand |
3,313,895 |
558,415 |
2,755,480 |
-83.15% |
|
5 |
Philippines |
688,409 |
123,545 |
564,865 |
-82.05% |
|
6 |
Mauritius |
115,291 |
25,748 |
89,542 |
-77.67% |
|
7 |
Portugal |
4,087,653 |
1,033,647 |
3,054,006 |
-74.71% |
|
8 |
New Zealand |
324,039 |
83,029 |
241,010 |
-74.38% |
|
9 |
Sri Lanka |
159,475 |
42,309 |
117,167 |
-73.47% |
|
10 |
Greece |
1,791,359 |
492,477 |
1,298,883 |
-72.51% |
