The global coronavirus outbreak means millions of travel and tourism jobs are at risk, says a leading industry body.
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) says up to 50 million jobs could be lost because of the pandemic.
Its chief executive, Gloria Guevara, said the outbreak “presents a significant threat to the industry”.
The news comes after thousands of international flights were cancelled and some insurance firms suspended travel cover for new customers.
New figures from the WTTC suggest that the travel sector could shrink by up to 25% in 2020.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Australia’s Qantas is reducing international flights by nearly 25% in response to the outbreak
Chinese airline passenger numbers dropped by 84.5% last month, highlighting the huge economic impact on the country where the virus originated.
Its aviation regulator said on Thursday that the drop had caused a 21bn-yuan (£2.35bn) fall in revenue.
Travel industry experts have expressed concerns about Chinese tourists being kept at home.
In the UK, for example, there were 415,000 visits from China in the 12 months to September 2019, according to VisitBritain.
Chinese travellers also spend three times more than an average visitor to the UK at £1,680 each.
As more large-scale events are cancelled and the number of flight cancellations increases, there are fears the industry could take a bigger hit.
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