Region:
USA
Category:
Tourism

US Lifts Covid-19 Test Requirement for International Travel

  • Travel Industry Welcomes Lifting of Pre-departure Testing Requirement for Inbound Air Travelers Following Months of Advocacy.
    Repeal of testing requirement for all inbound air travelers projected to add 5.4 million visitors to U.S. and $9 billion in travel spending through remainder of 2022. Travel Industry Welcomes Lifting of Pre-departure Testing Requirement for Inbound Air Travelers Following Months of Advocacy.
Region:
USA
Category:
Tourism
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The travel industry cheered the end of the predeparture testing requirement for inbound air travelers, which the Biden administration said would expire June 12.
Repeal of testing requirement for all inbound air travelers projected to add 5.4 million visitors to U.S. and $9 billion in travel spending through remainder of 2022.

Travel Industry Welcomes Lifting of Pre-departure Testing Requirement for Inbound Air Travelers Following Months of Advocacy.

The travel industry cheered the end of the predeparture testing requirement for inbound air travelers, which the Biden administration said would expire June 12.

In a tweet, White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz confirmed that the "US will end Covid-19 testing requirement for air travelers entering the country" and said that the CDC would "evaluate its need based on the science and in context of circulating variants". 

U.S. Travel, which has been lobbying hard for the repeal of the rule, said it would mean an additional 5.4 million visitors and $9 billion in travel spend for the U.S. this year.

"Today marks another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States," U.S. Travel CEO Roger Dow said in a statement. "The Biden administration is to be commended for this action, which will welcome back visitors from around the world and accelerate the recovery of the U.S. travel industry."

“International inbound travel is vitally important to businesses and workers across the country who have struggled to regain losses from this valuable sector. More than half of international travelers in a recent survey pointed to the pre-departure testing requirement as a major deterrent for inbound travel to the U.S.

“Prior to the pandemic, travel was one of our nation’s largest industry exports. The lifting of this requirement will enable the industry to lead the way toward a broader U.S. economic and jobs recovery.

“A new analysis found that repealing the pre-departure testing requirement could bring an additional 5.4 million visitors to the U.S. and an additional $9 billion in travel spending through the remainder of 2022.

“U.S. Travel and our partners advocated tirelessly for months to ensure this requirement would be lifted, pointing to the monumental scientific advancements that have made it possible for us to reach this point. We thank President Biden, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Dr. Ashish Jha and others in the administration for recognizing the immense economic power of travel and its ability to reconnect the U.S. with the global community.”