What to expect in the world of travel this year
The empty courtyard of the Louvre on March 18, 2020. Under normal circumstances, around 30,000 people would visit the museum every day.
A worker cleans the road outside the Temple Bar pub in Dublin on March 15, 2021. The area is one of the busiest in the capital, and it would have been packed with revelers for St. Patrick's Day celebrations, which were cancelled at the time.
A jogger is seen passing Buckingham Palace on April 26, 2020. This was the original date when the 40th London Marathon was due to take place.
Two Carabinieri officers stand in the Roman tourist hotspot Piazza di Spagna during the first day of lockdown on December 24, 2020.
A general view of Rio's famous Copacabana Beach during lockdown on March 22, 2020. The photo was taken on a Sunday, an otherwise busy day for beachgoers.
Night falls on an empty Times Square, one of the most visited places in NYC. This photo was taken on March 22, 2020.
Two women can be seen roller skating at an empty Venice Beach on a sunny California day in May 2020.
An image of Queen Elizabeth II can be seen on a screen in Piccadilly Circus on April 9, 2020. This is usually one of the busiest areas of London's West End.
Venice's famous San Marco Square is seen completely empty on March 9, 2020. Italy was one of the hardest hit countries by the pandemic.
Parque Eduardo VII, in Lisbon, which is usually busy with tourists, can be seen nearly deserted during a lockdown decreed by the government.
A view of one of the busiest avenues in Porto, Portugal, empty on March 26, 2020, during the pandemic.
Pictured is the Sydney Opera House on March 25, 2020. This is one of the city's most popular landmarks, but on this day it was deserted.
A tourist is seen at the Acropolis archaeological site in Athens, Greece, on April 21, 2021. This is one of the most-visited spots in the capital.
The area surrounding one of Tokyo's busiest railway stations, Shinjuku station, with just a few people and cars passing by.
A jogger can be seen by the River Thames near Tower Bridge during lockdown in London.
The city's most-visited attraction, Duomo di Milano, completely empty during lockdown.
A view of the empty streets around the Colosseum. Thousands of tourists usually flock to the city's historical landmarks at nighttime.
A general view of an empty Piazza del Duomo on a weekday afternoon during the pandemic.
See also: The world's cities—then and now
A view of the empty streets near the Eiffel Tower in 2020.
Alma's bridge, in front of the French capital's major tourist attraction, the Eiffel Tower, completely deserted on March 17, 2020.
An aerial photograph of the Colosseum and the deserted streets around it on May 1, 2020. Under normal circumstances, thousands of tourists would be present.
A general view of the freeway and streets in LA, with virtually no traffic or people on April 4, 2020.
A jogger is seen on an empty popular shopping street, Reguliersbreestraat, during partial lockdown.
The East Side Gallery, one of the city's most-visited tourist attractions, is seen completely empty in March 2020.
The entrance to Sol subway station, one of the busiest in the city center, is seen closed. The surrounding area is also seen empty during lockdown in 2020.
One of the most popular beaches in New South Wales, completely deserted during lockdown on April 24, 2020.
One of the French capital's most iconic landmarks, the Arc de Triomphe, completely empty during lockdown on March 21, 2020.
An aerial view of Istanbul's famous Hagia Sophia and surrounding area during lockdown on May 2, 2020.
A man is seen in one of the city's major shopping areas, the Saara, with all the stores closed and no one around, this during lockdown on March 24, 2020.
While most of us would rather forget it ever happened, the COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on everyone's lives not so long ago. Governments around the world tried to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus by decreeing lockdowns. Almost everything was shut down, and most people stayed home, including tourists. Some of the busiest tourist spots on Earth became deserted, yet photographers were there to capture those unique moments.
In this gallery, we look back on what some of the world's most popular tourist spots looked like during lockdown. Click on to revisit the not-so-distant past.
Do you remember these tourist spots being completely empty?
From historical landmarks to popular beaches
TRAVEL Pandemic
While most of us would rather forget it ever happened, the COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on everyone's lives not so long ago. Governments around the world tried to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus by decreeing lockdowns. Almost everything was shut down, and most people stayed home, including tourists. Some of the busiest tourist spots on Earth became deserted, yet photographers were there to capture those unique moments.
In this gallery, we look back on what some of the world's most popular tourist spots looked like during lockdown. Click on to revisit the not-so-distant past.