The travel sector across the globe is currently overwhelmed due to the sudden increase in the travel demand as the travel restrictions are lifted across the globe. Amidst the tough times faced by the airlines, the travel industry officials met the White House officials on May 31, 2022. The travel authorities are pressurizing the Biden Administration to take back the requirements that the vaccinated international travellers should take the COVID-19 test before they fly to the United States.
The request was made by the US Travel Association that represented the tourism industry and the board travel and the Airlines for America that represented some of the major airlines in the United States. The associations argued that the current requirements do not match with the current threat from COVID-19. It has been argued that the current requirements are doing no good and are harming the US economy. Nick Calio, the chief of Airlines for America in a statement after the meeting said that the pre-departure testing requirement is putting an adverse effect on the economy of the United States which is already in a fragile state.
Roger Dow, from the US Travel Association in a separate statement said that the restrictions on a number of other businesses have been lifted but the travel sector continues to be disproportionately harmed by the requirement. Dow also noted that other countries have already removed the pre-departure testing requirements that has helped them to reopen their respective tourism economies. The associations have argued that lifting the requirements would allow more foreigners to visit the United States.
The industry has insisted that the current requirements are out of date and some of the medical experts have also questioned the utility of the policy. Dr. William Schaffner, the specialist of infectious disease at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville said that testing international tourists no more makes sense as there are already plenty of COVID cases in the United States itself.
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