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WTTC: 72-Hour Quarantine-Free Trips Would Save International Business Travel

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) believes that international business travel can be restarted if an agreement is reached to “safeguard journeys of up to 72-hours free from quarantines.”

The recommendation is part of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (EASA/ECDC) standard guidelines about imposed quarantine measures and testing procedure titled “Addendum to the Aviation Health Safety Protocol”, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

EASA and ECDC have urged European government to lift quarantine for persons travelling for less than 72 hours. The move, according to WTTC, could help return international business travel and support the economic sector harmed by COVID-19.

The report of the Global Travel Taskforce stressed that the proposal is being analyzed by Britain’s government.

However, the recommendations cannot be implemented as they don’t mention the replacement of quarantine measures with a testing procedure.

“The revival of international business travel is crucial to kickstarting the global economic recovery, as last year, inbound international business travel across Europe accounted for US$111.3 billion (€99.8 billion), whilst globally it accounted for more than US$272 billion,” WTTC President & CEO, Gloria Guevara said.

According to Guevara, the lifting of quarantine measures for passengers travelling for less than 72 hours “would be a significant step in the direction towards the wholesale revival of business travel.”

“While we welcome all initiatives, which could lead to the revival of international travel, we hope to persuade EASA and ECDC to focus on testing at departure, rather than at the point of entry, so as to reduce the possibility of onboard transmission aircraft and reduce unnecessary barriers to travel,” she pointed out.

The recent recommendation published by European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) together with the European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control (ECDC) about the ineffectiveness of quarantine rules and travel restrictions pushed European and international associations to call on the European governments to lift both of these measures imposed by a large number of European countries in a bid to halt the further spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.