After an uptick in travel numbers, the emerging omicron variant of the coronavirus is poised to limit both leisure and business travel again. The Biden administration already banned arrivals from eight nations in southern Africa in response to the variant, which has been reported in a number of states.
Among the new measures aimed at curbing the pandemic, starting Monday, all inbound international travelers will be required to test within one day of departure for the U.S., down from the previous three days. Documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days will also be accepted.
Related: October metrics offer glimpse of omicron effect
The travel and hospitality spheres have been discussing how these developments could impact business. Smitarani Tripathy, influencer analyst at data and analytics company GlobalData, noted that after many governments reintroduced pandemic travel restrictions, travel influencers “expressed their concern” that the efforts may not stop the spread of mutations, but would instead merely disrupt business. “Influencers also opine that close surveillance of travelers and vaccination is important instead of a blanket ban on travel.”
The Industry Responds
Travel industry associations have spoken out about about the new efforts.
U.S. Travel Association EVP of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes said she hoped the narrower testing window would be temporary until scientists understand the new variant better. “In the meantime, the travel industry urges everyone to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible. It has long been known that measures to combat the virus and its variants would evolve and require us to be nimble and adapt. It is critically important that we communicate these policy changes clearly to global travelers and continue to welcome all qualified visitors to the United States.”
Sherrif Karamat, president & CEO of the Professional Convention Management Association, echoed Barnes’ sentiments that new strains were to be expected. “While the world awaits further details about the omicron variant, I encourage the business events industry to remain vigilant as we continue to safely deliver engaging experiences,” he said, noting that “volatility” around the coronavirus will continue. “We cannot lose sight of the importance of being safe—wearing a mask, being vaccinated—and listening to the facts delivered by medical experts so we can continue to run our businesses effectively.” Karamat also noted that all in-person attendees of the Association’s upcoming Convening Leaders conference in Las Vegas are required to be vaccinated.
The Global Business Travel Association, meanwhile, said any actions taken should focus on vaccination or recovery status and individual traveler risk, instead broad-reaching travel restrictions or border shutdowns.
GBTA also called for using consistent guidance and protocols worldwide for determining actions that would restrict or ban travel domestically and internationally related to new COVID-19 developments such as omicron and potential future variants. GBTA continues to also strongly encourage governments to take into consideration the difference between business travel and leisure travel, especially when it comes to keeping borders open for international travel and getting back to doing business. In a recent GBTA survey of business travelers worldwide, 91 percent said they are fully or partially vaccinated.
The Association argued that mitigation strategies should continue with regards to air travel, such as increasing vaccination rates, increased availability of vaccines and boosters, testing, and enforced masking in airports and on flights. “Travel bans, border closures and quarantines have greatly impacted business travel and therefore the world’s ability to do business,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO of the GBTA. “According to GBTA’s recent Business Travel Index, after declining almost 54 percent in 2020 to $661 billion USD, global business travel expenditures are only expected to rebound 14 percent in 2021 to $754 billion USD, due to the ongoing pandemic—with some regions such as western Europe seeing a further 3.8 percent erosion in 2021 compared to 2020.
“As we continue to take a long view of COVID-19, the random opening and closing of global borders has not been shown to be neither a factor in mitigating the virus nor sustainable due to increased impacts to economic and supply chain recovery.”
According to Hotel Management sister publication Travel Agent Central, the American Society of Travel Advisors has denounced the restrictions, arguing that the new round of bans is inflicting additional economic damage on the already-crippled travel industry. “Country-specific travel bans are too blunt an instrument and often create unintended but substantial economic and societal damage,” ASTA President and CEO Zane Kerby said in a statement. “This swing back to country-specific bans, coming just weeks after the U.S. reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers, is deeply frustrating and comes just as the industry’s recovery was gaining steam.
“In the words of the World Health Organization’s Africa director, ‘Travel restrictions may play a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods.’ Chief among those affected are travel advisors who are disproportionally impacted when travel bans are implemented, given their businesses’ reliance on international travel.”