The US travel industry has welcomed Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump to become the next American president.
Democrat Biden has pledged to unify the country with priorities outlined as tackling the Covid-19 crisis, the economy and climate change.
Biden is also set to overturn a Trump travel ban on people from seven mostly Muslin countries.
The US president-elect is due to name a 12-member coronavirus task force despite Trump refusing to concede while votes in key states continue to be counted.
The new president is officially sworn into office on January 20 after a transition period to give them time to appoint cabinet ministers and make plans.
US Travel Association president and chief executive Roger Dow said: “We applaud president-elect Biden’s objective of helping the industries most heavily impacted by the pandemic.
“The travel industry accounts for more than a third of overall US unemployment, and policies to promote relief, recovery, and stimulus for travel businesses are integral to a US economic turnaround.
“We share the emphasis on combating the spread of Covid-19 expressed by the president-elect while building economic growth.
“The right combination of technologies and behaviours already exists to allow the restart of travel without compromising health and safety, and making rapid and reliable testing more widely available will be a key element of an even broader economic reopening.”
Dow added: “There is a dire need to protect and sustain jobs in every single congressional district, and enacting the policies to do that will require the political parties to come together.
“We stand ready to work closely with the Biden administration and both chambers of Congress to achieve policy goals that revive our economy and bring our country together – a hallmark of the travel industry.”