U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman issued the following statement on news of the withdrawal of tennis champion Novak Djokovic from participating in an upcoming U.S. tournament in Indian Wells, California:

“America’s outdated vaccine policy for international visitors is an unforced error that is contributing to an $80 billion loss in foreign traveler spending. Novak Djokovic is merely one of millions of travelers deterred from visiting the United States due to a well-intended but antiquated policy. It is well past time for the United States to join with its peers in Europe, Australia and elsewhere and remove pandemic vaccine requirements for our international guests.”

Yesterday, amid various speculations, the 22-time Grand Slam champion announced heartbreaking news. Coming closer to the main draw dates of the BNP Paribas Open, the ‘Djoker’ withdrew his name from the draw of the ATP 1000 Masters tournament. Unsurprisingly, his sudden withdrawal came as a huge shock to everyone.

The country’s travel association, which is also a huge representative of the travel industry, recently shared their take on the 35-year-old tennis players’ visa debacle. They released a statement with proper figures and asked the US government to work on the outdated vaccine policy, which is contributing to a huge loss of nearly $80 billion.