The US Travel Association has submitted a document to the White House and state governors including guidance for travel-related businesses.
The document was created by a task force of medical experts and travel businesses and aims to identify ways to keep customers and employees safe when operating in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Called ‘Travel in the New Normal’, it focuses on six subjects covering operations, sanitation, health screening, food and beverage and effective response to employee infections.
Roger Dow, USTA chief executive, said: “We want political leaders and the public alike to see that our industry is setting a very high standard for reducing the risk of coronavirus in our businesses, and that the practices in place to achieve that standard are consistent through every phase of the travel experience.
“As travel reopens, travellers need the confidence that safety measures are in place from their departure to their return home.”
The USTA has estimated that eight million jobs have been lost in the travel industry up to May 1 as a result of the pandemic, and believes the economic impact of coronavirus on the sector will be nine times worse then 9/11.
Dow added: “We will not encourage people to travel until public health experts and authorities have made it clear that it’s the right time to do so. Our industry’s focus is on preparing for that moment, and on demonstrating that our preparations are comprehensive and informed by the counsel of top experts.
“We are very determined to return to travel and the new normal as quickly as circumstances will allow.”
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