17일 세계노총이 <2019년 12월 코로나19가 창궐하기 전에 관광산업과 보건산업은 나이지리아경제에서 특히 중요한 부문이었다>라며 <국제적 범위에서 보건산업규모는 국경봉쇄로 인해 450조달러의 손실을 입은 것으로 보고됐다>고 보도했다.
이어서 <어떤 국가도 다양한 노력에도 불구하고 지금의 현실을 타개하지 못했다. 나이지리아는 여행・관광산업에서 2020년 한해동안 80만개의 일자리가 사라졌다.>라며 <나이지리아인들은 직장을 잃고 가정을 부양할수 없는 무력감으로부터 극심한 고통을 겪고있다.>고 밝혔다.
계속해서 <2020년은 대부분의 가정들이 실업이나 고객감소로 죽은 것이나 다름없는 생활을 하게됐으며, 나이지리아에서 관광・보건산업에 일어난 피해는 살인적인 비극이었다>고 분석했다.
나이지이라세계노총은 <관광산업을 회복하기 위해서 나이지리아정부는 국가가 맞닥들인 위기에 대해 지속 가능한 대책을 찾아야만 하며, 코로나19를 극복한다 해도 관광객들이 가진 강도, 납치, 연쇄살인과 같은 범죄에 대한 두려움과 같이 관광산업에 영향을 주는 낙관이 있기 때문이다>고 토론을 결론지었다.
다음은 보도전문이다.
| Before the COVID-19 outbreak in December 2019, the tourism/hospitality sector played a very significant role in Nigeria’s economy. The capacity of tourism to stimulate economies by creating employment, attracting foreign investment nationally, regionally and locally is well known. The global hospitality business, it was reported, lost $4.5 trillion as the pandemic locked down domestic and international travels. No country escaped this reality despite efforts made. Nigerians are facing today the fact that the travel and tourism industry had shed nearly 800,000 jobs in 2020 due mainly to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This no doubt has a huge impact on the country’s overall unemployment picture. Nigerians lost their jobs and experienced excruciating pains in their inability to take care of their families. The year 2020 was tragic and for the tourism and hospitality industry, it was more of a killer because most families were living-dead as they lost their jobs due to low or no patronage in some cases. Many died out of frustration even before the epidemic could get to their environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has dragged down Nigeria’s economy and that of the global economy. The global hospitality business lost $4.5 trillion as the pandemic locked down domestic and international travels. Reviving the sector should be uppermost for the government at all levels, federal, state, and local governments. In reviving tourism, Nigerian leadership must find a lasting solution to the security challenge in the land because it is adversely affecting tourism as people are afraid to visit tourist centres even when COVID-compliant for fear of banditry, kidnappings, and incessant killings in the land. Source: WFTU Zoom Meeting with its affiliate in Nigeria NUHPSW |