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World travel and tourism has tremendously suffered amid the pandemic. However, one factor has pulled the sector out of the shell: digitisation. With every new course in life, unique aspects take over the magnitude. And, with the pandemic, digital technology has grabbed the importance this time.
Digital technology has become an integral part of world economy
Undoubtedly, digital technology has become an essential part of the world economy, personal lives, and various sectors. During the pandemic, when the physical barriers were put in place, the digital landscape filled in the gap in the course of human interactions.
Digitisation has also been a significant part of tourism’s recovery. Online ticket bookings, online hotel tours, and the integration of AR and VR within the sector have advanced the tourism industry way ahead of where it stood before the pandemic.
However, there are two sides to the coin. As digital technology boosts the tourism industry, it also disrupts the sector. Thus, the World Travel and Tourism Council has recently released a report emphasising cyber resilience for the industry.
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WTTC’s cyber resilience report for world travel and tourism
At the Global Summit on April 22, WTTC launched its new report on how cyber resilience would help the sector build a safer and more robust future. Building cyber resilience means protecting the industry against cybercrimes. As discussed during the Global Summit Event, cybercrimes have cost the global economy US$1 trillion and could reach US$90 trillion by 2030.
Cybercrimes are not new to the world; as digital technologies dive deeper into our lives, the intensity of cybercrimes also increases. Thus, high protection is a must. The report revealed that more than 7 out of 10 SMEs in the UK, US, and Europe were attacked by cybercrimes.
So, why does building cyber resilience so important? In the travel and tourism sector, around 80% of the businesses are SMEs. Thus, if the industry aims for a full-fledged recovery, it is crucial to build protection against cybercrimes.

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How to build cyber resilience?
Building cyber resilience for tourism businesses is essential in the present-day world because cybercrimes cause financial, reputational, and regulatory risks to businesses. So, to stay protected and build resilience against such thefts, WTTC has suggested a few ways.
Businesses should focus on securing identity data, securing business operations, analysing the impact of the pandemic, and managing international legislation. Additionally, educating the staff about cyber thefts is crucial.
Businesses should focus on expanding risk security for both physical and digital workplaces. The industry experts suggest that employing a zero-trust approach to cyber security and maintaining transparency among coworkers is beneficial to building cyber reliance.
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Digitisation has immensely helped the tourism sector bounce back to the grounds of recovery amid the pandemic. Thus, businesses must adapt to high technology to excel in the post-pandemic world. However, one cannot succeed until one needs to stay protected against cybercrimes. Thus, building resilience against cybercrimes is essential for the tourism industry. 
SOURCE: KALKINE MEDIA