Major Trade Organizations Call for Reopening International Travel
Document identifies policy principles for welcoming international visitors to US >>
by: Harvey Chipkin
A coalition of 24 trade organizations representing a large and diverse swath of the US economy is renewing urgent calls to lift restrictions on international visitation to the United States, and has released a policy blueprint for reopening borders safely. Called “A Framework to Safely Lift Entry Restrictions and Restart International Travel,” the document identifies policy principles for welcoming international visitors back to the US while keeping health and safety as the top priority. Roger Dow, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said the travel industry agrees that being guided by the science is absolutely the correct approach, and “the science has been telling us for some time that it’s possible to begin to safely reopen international travel.” He said the group’s document continues to prioritize safety while providing a roadmap for solving for the billions of dollars in economic damage resulting from the continued restrictions on crossing our borders, in particular from allied countries with similar vaccination rates. “We have the knowledge and the tools we need to restart international travel safely,” said Dow, “ and it is past time that we use them.” Among the guidelines recommended in the policy blueprint were: reserve entry restrictions only for the highest-risk countries; replace all other blanket travel restrictions with a framework of entry protocols based on a country-by-country and individual traveler risk assessment; and ensure the framework is easy to understand, communicate and implement. Organizations signing on besides U.S. Travel were Airlines for America, Airports Council International, the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the Global Business Travel Association.
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