As the number of travelers, tourist arrivals, new destinations, new tourism trends and types increases, life gets harder as well.
Bombs, terror attacks, wars and now our new distress is Zika virus.
Last year Ebola virus that emerged from western Africa affected travel. And now Zira virus outbreak started in Brazil and quickly spreads across the Americas. First we know that Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites but recently the Zika virus contracted in the US state of Texas was transmitted sexually. The virus is likely to spread with travels. On February 4th, Spain has confirmed that a pregnant woman has been diagnosed with the Zika virus - the first such case in Europe.
Zika has been linked to babies being born with underdeveloped brains. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the microcephaly condition, linked to the mosquito-borne virus, a global public health emergency.
UNWTO released a statement and recalls that health and tourism authorities are working together to inform residents, tourists as well as the industry about the precautions to be taken and the tourism sector is working closely with health authorities to follow WHO prevention recommendations.