U.S. Travel has urged the Biden administration to set, by this May, a timeline for lifting entry restrictions and reopening international travel. If nothing is done to restore international travel, a total of 1.1 million American jobs and $262 billion in spending will be lost by the end of 2021.4
However, our research shows that if the U.S. can restart international travel by the second quarter of this year, it can have a dramatic impact on restoring jobs. If international travel from the top inbound markets (such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union), can reach an average of just 40% of 2019 levels by the end of 2021, we can restore an additional 25,000 jobs and $30 billion in travel exports this year alone.5
Even small steps will go a long way. For example, if the U.S. can quickly establish a public health corridor between the U.S. and the U.K.—while avoiding quarantines upon arrival— it could add 1.9 million arrivals and $4.4 billion in spending in 2021 alone. travel, a total of 1.1 million American jobs and $262 billion in spending will be lost by the end of
2021.4
However, our research shows that if the U.S. can restart international travel by the second quarter of this year, it can have a dramatic impact on restoring jobs. If international travel from the top inbound markets (such as the United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union), can reach an average of just 40% of 2019 levels by the end of 2021, we can restore an additional 225,000 jobs and $30 billion in travel exports this year alone.
Even small steps will go a long way. For example, if the U.S. can quickly establish a public health corridor between the U.S. and the U.K.—while avoiding quarantines upon arrival— it could add 1.9 million arrivals and $4.4 billion in spending in 2021 alone.6
The good news is that we can reopen international travel without compromising safety. A Harvard study found that the risk of COVID-19 transmission while flying is already low and the federal mask mandate has made flying even safer.7 All inbound international passengers must now provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure, effectively eliminating the need for quarantines.
Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) own guidance says that fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19.8 Finally, the vaccination rate among U.S. adults is growing rapidly each day and as we begin to reach a saturation point, vaccinated individuals ought to be able to come to the U.S. without having to have proof of a negative COVID test.
While we have the right protections in place to restart international travel and keep our country safe, we do not have clear public health benchmarks or a definitive timeline to reopen our borders. The CDC, Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security and other agencies must quickly come together to develop a data-driven, risk-based roadmap by May to rescind international inbound travel restrictions by July 2021.
This plan should start by quickly establishing “public health corridors” between the U.S. and other low-risk countries, like the U.K. The CDC should then use clear benchmarks, such as infection and vaccination rates, to determine when entry restrictions can be lifted for other countries. The development of uniform federal standards for digital health credentials can also facilitate safe travel. While vaccines should never be a requirement to travel, digital health credentials can verify both test results and vaccination history, protect personal privacy, and work across local, state and international borders.
The subcommittee can help impress upon the White House and other agencies the urgent need to develop this plan and support them in developing it.
Restart professional meetings and events
Similar to international travel, our industry cannot recover without a resumption of professional meetings and events. Business travel spending in the U.S. fell 70% from $348 billion in 2019 to just $103 billion in 2020. To put this in real terms, as leisure travel businesses and destinations are experiencing slight increases in demand, convention hotels remain empty.
Restaurants, caterers, event organizers and AV companies are without customers. Rental car lots are full. Business travel, including professional meetings and events, is one of the most lucrative and important segments of travel and it must be restored in order to get the industry back on its feet.
It must be acknowledged that it is possible to resume professional meetings and events safely. Professional meetings and events are distinct from other mass gatherings due to the level of control that can be implemented, and therefore should not be singled out while the rest of the economy is given the green light to reopen. The CDC should provide or approve safety guidance—such as mask wearing, sanitation and physical distancing —that states and localities can use to lift restrictions on small, medium and large business events. The federal government must embrace the leadership role it can play in helping to restart this vital sector of the economy responsible for so many good-paying jobs.
Enact the Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act
Simply reopening international and business travel won’t be enough on its own. Congress can play a direct role in shortening the timeline for recovery and quickly restoring jobs in every region of the country.
In the travel industry, hiring is directly connected to demand. When demand for travel increases and customers return, travel employment happens immediately. But, as mentioned previously, travel demand and employment are forecast to take five years to reach 2019 levels. However, we can accelerate demand and rehiring by enacting the Hospitality and Commerce Job
Recovery Act (HCJRA).
