International Travel in the Age of Covid RECOVER 2022: WHICH PART OF THE WORLD WILL TAKE THE LEAD?
Travel and tourism are destined to recover. New research by the World Travel &Tourism Council shows that the industry is expected to generate $8.6 trillionmglobally, just 6.4% below the pre-pandemic levels (O’Hare, 2022). Countries have different agendas for reopen- ing, however, which may lead to an uneven pace of recovery. North America
There are no quarantine restrictions for people traveling to the U.S., although travelers might be asked to show a negative result from a recent COVID-19 test (e.g., within 48 hours) before getting onto an airplane. Canada announced that itwould open its border to fully vaccinated international travelers, starting February 28 (Scherer, 2022). Inbound travelers still need a rapid antigen test, which ischeaper and provides results within minutes, in lieu of the traditional molecular test. Europe Denmark, having an 81% vaccination rate, was the first E.U. country to lift all COVID-19 restrictions. Accord- ing to a recent BBC update (2022), the U.K. is also in the phase of removing all COVID-19 restrictions, starting as early as February. COVID tests have been waived for fully vaccinated travelers in the U.K. This applies to both pre-departure and on arrival. Furthermore, soon people in England will no longer need to self-isolate, even if they have COVID symptoms or test positive. A few other European countries have also announced plans to ease their travel re- strictions, especially for vaccinated travelers. Central and South America Dominican Republic removed all COVID-19 restrictions, starting on February 16 (Hulme, 2022). Mexico and El Salvador have also removed entry requirements. Australia & New Zealand Australia planned to reopen its border to leisure and business travelers, with some restrictions, starting on February 21, although the state of Western Australia, home to Perth, will still not be open to either foreign or domestic tourists (Pitrelli, 2022). New Zealand rolled out a five-step phased reopening plan, likely to welcome international travelers in July or after. Upon arrival, self-isolation for 10 days is still required in New Zealand, even for vaccinated travelers. Asia The Philippines reopened its border in early February after a two-year ban on foreign travelers. In place of facility-based quarantines, vaccinated travelers are only required to self-monitor for seven days. Likewise, Bali, Indonesia, is now open to vaccinated international travelers. Other places like Mongolia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are also on the list of countries easing travel restrictions. continued on page 79WW
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