Under pressure, the United States will relax the entry restrictions for tourists from the 8th of next month

The U.S. government announced details of the new rules for the entry of foreign travelers on October 25, including allowing eligible foreign travelers to enter the country from November 8. Some analysts pointed out that the Biden administration is facing pressure from European allies and the aviation industry to promote the movement of people at home and abroad. While the new rules are expected to lead to a recovery in the U.S. international tourism industry, a full recovery will take time.

Relax restrictions

Under the new rules, foreign travelers to the U.S. from November 8 must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and a negative test for the virus. At present, only the COVID-19 vaccine certified by the US Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization meets the requirements, namely Pfizer, Modena, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, as well as Sinopharm and Kexing vaccines, and foreign travelers who are mixed with the above vaccines can also enter the country. However, foreign travelers are required to provide an "official source" vaccination certificate and complete the vaccination at least two weeks before the travel date.

In addition, foreign travelers are required to undergo virus testing before boarding for the United States. Vaccinated people will need to provide a negative test certificate within three days of travel, while unvaccinated people will need to provide a negative test certificate within one day before travel.

According to THE INTERPRETATION OF US MEDIA, THE NEW RULES MEAN THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS RELAXED TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS FOR CERTAIN COUNTRIES AND INSTEAD FOCUSED ON THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL. When the new rules come into effect, foreigners who have not completed vaccination will face stricter restrictions.

The Biden administration also plans to ease restrictions on overland cross-border travel from Canada and Mexico starting in November, with more details expected to be announced in the near future.

After the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the US government imposed entry restrictions early last year, banning non-US citizens who have recently visited the United Kingdom, Iran, Brazil, India and european Schengen countries. This has been followed by a sharp decline in international travel and a shock to related industries. Biden, meanwhile, is under pressure from multiple sources. On one side is European allies demanding that he lift those restrictions, especially after many European countries have eased restrictions on American tourists. On the other side are airlines that have been pushing the U.S. government to lift the travel ban in a bid to boost the lucrative transatlantic market recovery.

There are joys and sorrows

At present, the White House has finally relaxed entry restrictions, but there are good and bad things from all walks of life. "We've seen an increase in ticket sales for international travel over the past few weeks, and we're eager to reunite countless families, friends and colleagues who haven't seen each other for nearly two years or more," the American Aviation Association said in a statement.

One concern for U.S. officials and airlines, however, is how to ensure foreign travelers are aware of the new rules that will take effect in two weeks' time. The second is how the new regulations will affect the epidemic in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 57.4 percent of the population in the United States has been vaccinated. According to the Associated Press, although the number of new cases in the United States has recently declined, the number of deaths has recently risen nationwide. With the arrival of autumn and winter, people began to take off their masks, and the local outbreak "still has some disturbing signs".

In addition, Henry Hartwirt, a tourism analyst in San Francisco, said the government's lifting of travel restrictions on certain countries would help the industry, but vaccination and testing requirements would hinder the industry's recovery.

"People who want a surge in inbound tourists will be disappointed." "November 8 will be the start of the recovery in international tourism in the United States, but I think we won't see a full recovery until 2023 at the earliest," Hartwirt said. ”

According to aviation research firm Resymembr, U.S. and foreign airlines plan to operate about 14,000 transatlantic flights this month, slightly more than half of the number of flights operated in October 2019.

Author: Lu Yifei

Source: Liberation Daily