The Legal Impacts of COVID-19 in the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Industry

tourism 44 . Concerning consumer protection, the CCV Convention brought rules less favourable, although uniforms. The second difficult arose during the elaboration of the CCV Convention, with changes in the tourism industry, for instance, the decentralisation and fragmentation of tourism at the end of the last century. If, in 1950, tourism destinations were concentrated in industrialised countries in Europe and North America, presently, 46,7% of the tourism in the world has developing countries as a destination. As the UNWTO stated before the COVID-19 outbreak, “ International tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) worldwide grew 4% in 2019 to reach 1.5 billion, based on data reported by destinations around the world. 2019 was another year of strong growth, although slower compared to the exceptional rates of 2017 (+7%) and 2018 (+6%). Demand was slower mainly in advanced economies and particularly in Europe. Uncertainty surrounding Brexit, geopolitical and trade tensions, and the global economic slowdown, weighed on growth. 2019 was also the year of major shifts in the sector with the collapse of Thomas Cook and of several low-cost airlines in Europe ” 45 . The decentralisation of tourism has been followed by its fragmentation, for it is no longer considered restricted to an elite, but rather a cross-class phenomenon. We can also speak about a specialisation, given that, today, there are, besides leisure and cultural tourism, conference tourism, adventure tourism, youth tourism, religious tourism, educational tourism, and many others. Scholars highlight that there was a cultural change in tourism in the 21 st century 46 , which lead to the inclusion of activities that were previously not considered consumption, such as tourism for conferences, professional or religious training; however, long-term students who travel beyond one year are not considered tourists or migrants, but consumers 47 . 44 Available at https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/internacional/noticia/2017-12/paraguai-assume- mercosul-e-bloco-firma-novos-acordos-durante-cupula/ ( accessed on 02 July 2020). 45 UNWTO World Tourism Barometer and Statistical Annex, January 2020, https://www.e- unwto.org/toc/wtobarometereng/18/1 ( accessed on 28 July 202028). 46 TUDELA, J. Madurez y insuficiencia del derecho del turismo español: su presente y sus incertidumbres, in FACAL, J. (Org.), Derecho del Turismo, FCU (2006), pp. 256 & ff. 47 BUSTO, E. D. Marco Regulatorio del turismo estudiantil en la República Argentina, in FACAL, J. (Org.), Derecho del Turismo, FCU (2006), pp. 282 & ff.