"
"
London, United Kingdom: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has released a new groundbreaking report that provides clear recommendations to governments and recognizes four key digital solutions to restore international mobility, based on extensive analysis and research.
The first report offers recommendations and encourages governments to adopt a more internationally coordinated response to COVID-19 for the Travel & Tourism sector, as well as to implement digital solutions that will allow safe and stress-free overseas travel to resume.
WTTC has picked out four of the most broadly used digital COVID vaccination certificates (EU Digital COVID Certificate, ICAO Visible Digital Seal, DIVOC, and SMART Health Cards) and encourages governments to accept these big global standards as proof of COVID-19 status, while working toward a worldwide solution, in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
The report, titled “Digital Solutions for Reviving International Travel,” explains how international travelers would receive a globally recognized digital COVID certificate that would allow them to travel freely and safely anywhere in the world, whether fully vaccinated or testing negative.
This important report discusses the current global challenge posed by the current patchwork of policies and processes, which are not only complex and unsustainable but also obstruct the recovery of a struggling industry.
To address this, governments should establish their own ‘Digital Travel Portals,’ which would allow travelers to electronically start sharing their digital COVID vaccination or test certificates with their destination before embarking on their journey.
Travelers would simply go to the destination’s online portal after booking their trip and upload their digital COVID certificate, confirming their status online and in seconds, preventing confusing processes and long lines.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “WTTC has been calling on governments to implement a globally coordinated response since the beginning of the pandemic. Today’s report offers the key to harmonize and safely reopen international travel”.
“It is governments’ responsibility to ensure there is a safe, secure, simple, and digital system in place to restore international mobility. WTTC is recommending a single global portal that recognizes the main digital passes currently in use worldwide and acts as a one-stop-shop for travelers and governments”.
“We can use the pandemic to leapfrog technologies and allow contactless travel with embedded data on vaccination and testing status”.
Along with the WHO, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and commitments made by governments at the G7 and G20 for solutions to revive safe international travel are all referenced in this innovative report and recommendations.
According to WTTC’s research, over 62 million jobs were lost in 2020, when the pandemic brought international travel to a halt, and the sector’s share in global GDP fell by an astounding US$ 4.5 trillion.
These losses have impacted the many millions of people whose livelihoods rely on prospering travel and tourism, as well as the global economy and development.
