GOOGLE TRENDS CONFIRMS COVID-19 IMPACT ON TOURIST INDUSTRY

The coronavirus pandemic is having a dramatic impact on human health, societies, the global economy, and also the tourism industry. Google Trends has already been introduced as a study tool for scientific research in various fields, such as tourism. In this study, Google Trends data were collected to confirm the impact of COVID-19 on tourism. Google Trends data were analyzed with a weekly data resolution for the past 5 years. The region was selected as worldwide and all categories were set. Google Trends data were used to compare search interest among the world population for relevant English search topics. The results suggest that Google Trends is a valuable tool for monitoring and confirming the effects of major events of global concern, such as COVID-19. Differences between varied business models within the tourism industry could also be shown. This study supports the results of previous research to better understand the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy. Results underline the importance and duration of the COVID-19 effect in various areas of the global tourism industry.