The World Travel & Tourism Council is adamant that closing borders will prove counterproductive and ultimately delay economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"While protecting public health is paramount, blanket travel bans cannot be the answer. They have not worked in the past and they will not work now," WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara said in a statement issued Monday.
"If a comprehensive and quick turnaround testing regime were in place at airports across the country to test all travelers before they depart, it would ensure only those infected with COVID-19 are isolated and are prevented from traveling. There would be no need for countries to introduce damaging and counterproductive wholesale bans on U.K. travelers." Dozens of countries in Europe, Asia, South America and the Middle East have restricted travel from the U.K. in an effort to prevent the spread of a coronavirus variant that health experts say can spread faster than others.
In addition to doing away with blanket travel bans, the WTTC is advocating for more accessible COVID-19 testing.
"People should not be deterred from traveling because they simply can't find or arrange to get tested at a local testing center or lab. We need to make it much easier for travelers to get a test prior to their journey," added Guevara.
"Travelers pose no higher risk than other members of the community if they follow all the internationally recognized health safety protocols, including the mandatory wearing of masks and regular testing," she said. "While we understand the concern and need to curb the spread of COVID-19, the growing number of blunt travel bans are incredibly disruptive and economically damaging. We should not underestimate the terrible social impact of increasing isolation and its effect on mental health."
Guevara warned that failure to jumpstart travel by reopening countries and implementing thorough testing at airports will result in hard-hit local economies and millions of lost jobs.
"Every sector of the economy, not just travel and tourism, will suffer as will those countries imposing the ban as their own economies feel the impact of border closures and the loss of business," Guevara concluded. "The travel and tourism sector will be critical to powering the economic recovery, which is why it is absolutely crucial that action must be taken now to save it. If not, it will collapse, and millions of people will lose their jobs."
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