The travel industry has responded quickly to news that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will begin requiring a negative COVID-19 test of all U.S.-bound air passengers. January, hailing the strategy as a key security measure but expressing concern that the mandate could further hamper travel and ultimately delay the industry’s recovery.
In a statement released Tuesday night, U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes said a testing requirement must be met with the removal of travel restrictions. and quarantine mandates.
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“We welcome the announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of a COVID-19 testing requirement for inbound international travelers. A testing requirement provides another level of security for international travel and must be accompanied by other policies. based on risk, including lifting travel restrictions and eliminating any post-arrival quarantine requirements, “Barnes said.
“With an international testing requirement in place, international visitors and returning residents would be tested at much higher rates than the general public and would pose a much lower risk of transmitting the disease. Therefore, it would make sense to eliminate international travel restrictions and quarantine requirements at the same time, “he added. “With a layered approach based on health and safety risk in all aspects of travel, it is possible to protect public health and allow travel to resume safely.”
Zane Kerby, president and CEO of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), warned that the new requirement “will not guarantee that COVID-19 will not spread” and could lead to “stranded passengers, missed connections and canceled flights.”
“ASTA supports an accurate and rapid response testing regime for airline travelers in lieu of mandatory quarantines and travel bans. However, requiring a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure will not guarantee that the COVID-19 does not spread, “Kerby said in a statement issued Wednesday. “It is very possible to become infected within 72 hours of receiving a negative test result. As the CDC has already recognized, on its own, the new testing regulation will not stop the spread of the virus due to the wait time between testing. test and flight, incubation period and false positives “.
“Implementing such a requirement without a reliable rapid response test threatens to create a logistics crisis. When travelers are stranded because they cannot get a test at the destination in time for departure (if at all), this will trigger a ripple effect throughout the supply chain: stranded passengers, missed connections and canceled flights, “he added. “The inability to obtain proof and the uncertainty of being stranded will cause many travelers to postpone their plans, resulting in further mental, emotional, and financial harm. At the very least, the CDC should communicate its list of exempt destinations for assessors to and consumers can make informed decisions about their travel plans. “
“Also, now that vaccines are available, we have a solution to ensure that travelers are protected. ASTA remains committed to promoting more resources for vaccine distribution, increasing the capacity and timeliness of testing in our own backyard, and a federal mandate that requires masks in all public places, “said Kerby.” The CDC director has said that wearing a mask is the most important step you can take to protect yourself from the virus. That is why we have asked the incoming Biden Administration to require passengers to wear masks on all flights, domestic and foreign. Requiring virus testing when the global infrastructure for testing does not exist will further affect travel economics without addressing the issue at hand. “
Travel advisers are equally concerned about the CDC announcement. Jemica Archer of TruBlue Travels said she is “absolutely amazed that this measure is being implemented so quickly” and predicts that it will be “detrimental” to travel companies.
“We were starting to recover for the 2021 travels. I started getting emails from clients about cancellations or their concerns about not being able to return to the country. I think it will be detrimental to the travel industry. Based on this news, I expect to see more cancellations and I probably won’t see my business recover in 2021, “he added.
Meanwhile, Ryan Doncsecz of VIP Vacations Inc called the CDC’s latest effort a “major hurdle and possibly a devastating last blow for travel agencies,” and predicted that an “already very small clientele will shrink once again.”
“To help save our industry, the CDC has now called on tourism boards in other countries to help initiate a plan on how to help effectively implement testing in these destinations that may already be struggling to manage and process. trials. Hopefully our resort partners will see the need to offer trial at the destination as well, but by no means do I expect others to continue to collect additional bills that were previously not associated with their hotel deals, “said Doncsecz, who continues being cautiously optimistic.
“I am very concerned about the outcome of this, but I hope that an attitude of solidarity will be maintained among travel professionals who express their concerns not only about their careers, but also about the financial support of so many travel-related jobs, combined With the backing of ASTA and others, corporations can help CDC see how negatively this will affect so many people around the world, “he concluded.
Internova Travel Group CEO JD O’Hara echoed the sentiment expressed by US Travel and called on those in power to lift restrictions on inbound travelers.
“We support the new ruling by the Centers for Disease Control to prevent the spread of the virus, especially if the testing regime will replace quarantine requirements and bring us one step closer to opening the world to travel,” he said in a statement. . “The trials will allow for safer air and cross-border travel and will be critical to our industry rebound. We therefore urge the Administration to move forward with lifting entry restrictions on travelers from the UK, Europe and Brazil. A collaborative approach with Clear and transparent communication between the government and airlines, hotels, destinations and travel advisors is essential as we continue to work together towards a safe return from travel. “
AAA is promoting the development of a comprehensive testing infrastructure to drive a safe recovery.
“As a trusted brand, AAA is focused on the safety of our members and all travelers. Access to testing is a critical component in supporting safe return to travel, as well as achieving critical mass in vaccines. AAA encourages the development of testing infrastructure to enable safe return to travel, “AAA Senior Vice President of Travel Paula Twidale said in a statement.
“Traveling is a very personal decision. For travelers unsure how to navigate today, AAA travel agents are available to help them make an informed decision to travel safely.”
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