Travel industry pressure is growing on the US government to ditch the need for vaccinated international travellers to take tests before entering the country.
More than 260 travel industry and business organisations sent a letter to the White House on Thursday demanding an “urgent repeal” of the pre-departure testing requirement.
Leading airlines, airports, hotel and cruise groups are among those backing the call.
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The letter written to Covid-19 response co-ordinator Dr Ashish Jha by the US Travel Association warned that the economic costs associated with maintaining the measure are significant, with international travel spending 78% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels and business travel spend down 56%.
The letter also states that many foreign governments with similar infection, vaccination and hospitalisation rates, including the UK, Germany and Canada, have already eliminated pre-departure testing requirements for vaccinated travellers.
“Further, since the federal government does not require negative tests for entry at our land-border ports of entry with Canada and Mexico, it no longer makes sense to keep a pre-departure Covid testing requirement in place for vaccinated international air travellers to the US,” the USTA added.
Eliminating the pre-departure testing requirement for vaccinated travellers would accelerate the return of international travel to and from the US without increasing the spread of COVID-19, the US trade body argued.
The USTA said: “The time is now to take this critical step. Stronger immunity provided by vaccinations, boosters and prior infections, as well as effective treatments to prevent the worst outcomes of Covid-19, have enabled Americans to safely return to normal activities without requirements for indoor mask usage, frequent testing and physical distancing.
“These facts strongly support the elimination of the pre-departure testing requirement for vaccinated international air travellers to the US.
“It is time for the Biden administration to lead the country toward a new normal for travel and on a faster road to a full economic recovery.”