(TAN): World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) President and CEO Gloria Guevara has said while protecting public health is paramount, blanket travel bans cannot be the answer in response to the new strain of the coronavirus surfacing in the UK.
“They have not worked in the past and they will not work now,” Guevara said in reference to the travel bans. “If a comprehensive and quick turnaround testing regime were in place at airports across the country to test all travellers before they depart, it would ensure only those infected with Covid-19 are isolated and are prevented from travelling. There would be no need for countries to introduce damaging and counterproductive wholesale bans on UK travellers.”
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“People should not be deterred from travelling because they simply can’t find or arrange to get tested at a local testing centre or lab. We need to make it much easier for travellers to get a test prior to their journey. Travellers pose no higher risk than other members of the community if they follow all the internationally recognised health safety protocols, including the mandatory wearing of masks and regular testing,” she said.
The growing number of blunt travel bans are incredibly disruptive and economically damaging, she said, adding that people should not underestimate the terrible social impact of increasing isolation and its effect on mental health.
“Every sector of the economy, not just travel & 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,” she said, adding that millions of people will lose their jobs if immediate action is not taken.
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