WTTC: Unvaccinated Travellers Should Not Be Discriminated Against

The World Travel and Tourism Council, a forum for the travel and tourism industry made up of members from the global business community, does not support the move of some countries planning to open the borders to vaccinated travellers, and to keep them shut for others.

According to its President and Chief Executive Officer Gloria Guevara, while only a small share of the world population has received the vaccine, it will take time to vaccinate them all.

“It will take a significant amount of time to vaccinate the global population, particularly those in less advanced countries, or in different age groups; therefore we should not discriminate against those who wish to travel but have not been vaccinated,” she said, noting that those who are unvaccinated should be permitted to travel by getting tested for COVID-19.

She believed that it is “a common-sense approach” to permit travelling those who do not have COVID-19 by presenting test results, calling the idea of a blanket vaccination requirement “a discrimination against non-vulnerable groups.”

“WTTC has long been calling for an internationally recognised rapid and cost-effective testing regime at departure points worldwide. This would avoid exporting the virus and aid the restoration of international travel,” she noted.

Guevara once again reiterated the call that the WTTC and other travel organisations have made for months now on the EU and other governments, to reopen the borders for those holding negative results of COVID-19 tests.

Previously, the same had noted that if world governments wait for the majority of people to be vaccinated, it may be too late for this industry and those working in it, urging for a quick restoration of international travel without waiting for vaccinations.

Ten months ago, in April 2020, an EU official had told SchengenVisaInfo.com that once a vaccine against COVID-19 was approved, travellers to the block would be required to show proof they have taken the vaccine in order to be permitted to enter any of the Member States.

Now, several world countries have warned that they are preparing “vaccination passports” for those who receive the COVID-19 vaccine, like Denmark, while others have announced they will permit to enter travellers who have proof that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, like Cyprus.

Moreover, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called on the European Commission to introduce a Coronavirus vaccination certificate in order to facilitate travel between the bloc but has received no response so far.