Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Coalition calls for end to international travel restrictions

USTA points to lower rates of infection due to vaccinations as justification

Coalition calls for end to international travel restrictions

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL TO the U.S. was all but eliminated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but now a coalition of 24 trade organizations have drawn up a blueprint for safely reopening the world, according to the U.S. Travel Association. USTA has called for travel restrictions to be eased by Thursday, but there is no indication that goal will be met.

The blueprint, titled “A Framework to Safely Lift Entry Restrictions and Restart International Travel,” spells out guidelines for the reopening. They include reserving entry restrictions for only the highest-risk countries; replacing all other blanket travel restrictions with a framework of entry protocols based on a country-by-country and individual traveler risk assessment; and making the framework easy to understand, communicate, and implement.


“The travel industry agrees that being guided by the science is absolutely the correct approach, and the science has been telling us for some time that it’s possible to begin to safely reopen international travel,” said Roger Dow, USTA president and CEO. “Our document continues to prioritize safety while providing a roadmap for solving for the billions of dollars in economic damage resulting from the continued restrictions on crossing our borders, in particular from allied countries with similar vaccination rates. We have the knowledge and the tools we need to restart international travel safely, and it is past time that we use them.”

For example, USTA wants the U.S. government to lift restrictions on travel between the U.S. and the United Kingdom quickly, citing data from the Mayo Clinic showing the risk of a person infected with COVID-19 boarding a flight from the U.K. to the U.S. is 1 out of 10,000. The same research found that the risk of an infected passenger transmitting the virus to another passenger flying from the U.K. to the U.S. is 1 out of 1 million passengers.

The USTA guidelines also call for expedited entry into the U.S for fully vaccinated individuals from non-high-risk countries.

The U.S. economy loses $1.5 billion in spending due to travel restrictions to Canada, the European Union and the U.K. alone, according to USTA. That money could support 10,000 American jobs. A report released in April by the World Travel & Tourism Council found that the travel industry had lost nearly $4.5 trillion since worldwide travel restrictions had been imposed in 2020.

Dow also stressed the need for continuing to press for more vaccinations.

“Restrictions on international travel are no longer what is protecting us from outbreaks of the virus,” Dow said. “In that vein, the travel industry continues to urge everyone who is eligible to receive a vaccine—they have been effective beyond expectation, and they are what is going to allow our lives to go fully back to normal and put this pandemic in the rearview mirror for good.”

Other signatories to the blueprint include: Airlines for America; Airports Council International – North America; the Aeronautical Repair Station Association; the Aerospace Industries Association; the American Association of Airport Executives; the American Gaming Association; the American Hotel and Lodging Association; the American Society of Travel Advisors; American Tours International, LLC; the Cargo Airline Association; the General Aviation Manufacturers Association; the Global Business Travel Association; the International Air Transport Association; the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions; the International Franchise Association; the International Inbound Travel Association; the National Air Carrier Association; the National Restaurant Association; RTCA; the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association; the Regional Airline Association; The Travel Technology Association; and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

More for you

Exterior view of the modern eight-story MC Hotel in Montclair, NJ, with a curved glass facade and rooftop structure, located in a vibrant downtown area, 2025

Stonebridge adds MC Hotel to Autograph Collection

Stonebridge Cos. Welcomes MC Hotel to Autograph Collection

STONEBRIDGE COS. RECENTLY added the 159-room MC Hotel in Montclair, New Jersey, to its Autograph Collection portfolio. The property is owned in partnership with CSP MC Partners LP, an affiliate of Circle Squared Alternative Investments, led by CEO Jeff Sica.

Denver-based Stonebridge is a privately owned hotel management company founded by Chairman Navin Dimond and led by President and CEO Rob Smith.

Keep ReadingShow less
Breaking Barriers: Women of Color Power List 2025 Revealed

Breaking Barriers: Women of Color Power List 2025 Revealed

Women of Color Power List 2025 Debuts at AAHOACON 2025

ASIAN MEDIA GROUP USA, publisher of Asian Hospitality magazine, launched the first-ever “Women of Color Power List 2025” at the 2025 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show in New Orleans, honoring 51 women reshaping the U.S. hospitality industry. The publication is the first to spotlight the achievements of women of color, recognizing their resilience, innovation, and leadership.

Asian Media Group Managing Editor Kalpesh Solanki, Executive Editor Shailesh Solanki, and Chief Operating Officer Aditya Solanki announced the list during the conference.

Keep ReadingShow less
AAHOALending.com લોન્ચ 2025

AAHOA, બ્રિજ AAHOALending.com લોન્ચ કરે છે

AAHOA અને બ્રિજે AAHOALending.com ને AAHOACON 2025 માં રજૂ કર્યું

AAHOA અને બ્રિજે AAHOALending.com લોન્ચ કર્યું, જે હોસ્પિટાલિટી પર કેન્દ્રિત ડિજિટલ ધિરાણ પ્લેટફોર્મ છે. તે AAHOA સભ્યોને 150 થી વધુ ધિરાણકર્તાઓની ઍક્સેસ પ્રદાન કરે છે, જેમાં વધુને વધુ લોકોને નિયમિતપણે ઉમેરવાની યોજના છે, આ પ્લેટફોર્મ વપરાશકર્તાઓને ધિરાણ વિકલ્પોની તુલના કરવાની, શ્રેષ્ઠ દરો અને સુરક્ષિત ભંડોળ શોધવાની મંજૂરી આપે છે.

કોફાઉન્ડર અને CEO રોહિત માથુરની આગેવાની હેઠળના બ્રિજને ક્લબ બ્લુ ઇન્ડસ્ટ્રી પાર્ટનર તરીકે નિયુક્ત કરવામાં આવ્યા છે, જે AAHOAના પ્રોગ્રામમાં સર્વોચ્ચ સ્તર છે, તેના 300 ભાગીદારોમાંથી માત્ર 12 જ લાયકાત ધરાવે છે, એમ બંનેએ સંયુક્ત નિવેદનમાં જણાવ્યું હતું.

Keep ReadingShow less
2025માં મંદીની સંભાવના 50 ટકા : HAMA સર્વે

2025માં મંદીની સંભાવના 50 ટકા : HAMA સર્વે

HAMA 2025 સર્વે: 49% મેનેજર્સ મંદીની આશંકા ધરાવે છે

હોસ્પિટાલિટી એસેટ મેનેજર્સ એસોસિએશનના સ્પ્રિંગ 2025 ઇન્ડસ્ટ્રી આઉટલુક સર્વેક્ષણમાં અંદાજે 49 ટકા ઉત્તરદાતાઓ 2025 માં અમેરિકામાં મંદીની અપેક્ષા રાખે છે, જે 2024ના પાનખર સર્વેક્ષણમાં 19 ટકાથી વધુ છે. ટોચની ત્રણ ચિંતાઓ માંગ, ટેરિફ અને DOGE કટ અને વેતનમાં વધારો વચ્ચેનો જોડાણ છે.

HAMA સર્વેક્ષણમાં જાણવા મળ્યું છે કે લગભગ 55 ટકા ઉત્તરદાતાઓએ તેમની વર્તમાન વ્યૂહરચનાના ભાગ રૂપે બ્રાન્ડ અથવા મેનેજમેન્ટ ફેરફારો કર્યા છે અથવા કરવાની યોજના બનાવી છે.

Keep ReadingShow less