{"id":1976,"date":"2021-02-11T02:24:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T02:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelcommunication.net\/?p=27043"},"modified":"2021-03-16T00:25:00","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T00:25:00","slug":"wttc-says-governments-should-focus-on-high-risk-travellers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/global-travel-news\/wttc-says-governments-should-focus-on-high-risk-travellers\/","title":{"rendered":"WTTC Says Governments Should Focus on High-Risk Travellers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\"WTTC<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n

London, United Kingdom, February 8, 2021 \/ TRAVELINDEX \/ The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is calling for governments to abandon the concept of \u2018high-risk countries\u2019 and instead focus on how individual \u2018high-risk travellers\u2019 are treated at borders.<\/p>\n

WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, is urging governments around the world to shift their focus from whole countries, towards individual travellers.<\/p>\n

Instead, WTTC says governments around the world should redefine their whole approach to risk assessment, to revive international business and leisure travel.<\/p>\n

Combined with a common international consensus on the metrics used to assess risk and a laser-like focus on a cost-effective, comprehensive, and rapid departure and arrival testing scheme for all travellers, could pave the way forward for the meaningful return of travel.<\/p>\n

It would also ensure only those affected are forced to isolate, while travellers who test negative can continue to enjoy safe travels through observing hygiene protocols and mask wearing.<\/p>\n

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President and CEO, said: \u201cRisk based on entire countries is neither effective nor productive. Redefining risk towards individual travellers instead will be key for unlocking the door to the return of safe international travel. We need to learn from past experiences and crises such as 9-11.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot continue labelling entire countries as \u2018high-risk\u2019 which assumes everyone is infected. While the UK is currently seeing high levels of infections, clearly not all Britons are infected; the same goes for all Americans, Spaniards, or the French.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is much more complex. Not only does it stigmatise an entire nation, but it also halts travel and mobility when many people who test negative on departure and arrival could safely travel without exporting the virus.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to recognise this reality and redefine the risk to focus on \u2018high-risk\u2019 individuals. We firmly believe implementing a comprehensive testing regime and the use of technology is the only practical way to restore international travel securely. Furthermore, a comprehensive testing programme will be less expensive than the economic cost brought on by blanket quarantines and lockdowns.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis refocus would avoid exporting the virus and enable the free movement of travellers, while still observing enhanced hygiene protocols such as mask wearing and social distancing.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe must learn to live with the virus, as it will take time for the global population to be vaccinated. This is why WTTC has long advocated introducing a comprehensive and cost-effective test on departure and arrival for all international travellers, as a way of preventing those carrying the virus from spreading it.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAs always, there is a crucial balance to be struck between the priority on public health with the need to sustain economic activity. As well ensuring people are safe and healthy, we also need to secure the health of the global economy \u2013 and revive the 174 million Travel & Tourism jobs affected by this devastating pandemic.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

According to WTTC\u2019s 2019 Economic Impact Report<\/a>, Travel & Tourism contributed US$8.9 trillion, or 10.3% towards the world\u2019s GDP. It accounted for one in 10 global jobs, giving employment to 330 million people through the Travel & Tourism sector.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

London, United Kingdom, February 8, 2021 \/ TRAVELINDEX \/ The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is calling for governments to abandon the concept of \u2018high-risk countries\u2019 and instead focus on how individual \u2018high-risk travellers\u2019 are treated at borders. WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, is urging governments around the world …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4457,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-global-travel-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1976"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1976\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}