Vaccine tourism, where tourist hotspots are now offering COVID-19 vaccinations on holiday to attract visitors, is a double-edged sword as, while it could assist travel’s restart, it also raises the question of vaccine equity as it will further increase the divide between the wealthy and less privileged, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. FILE PHOTO: A health worker prepares a syringe with the Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at a vaccination center in Le Cannet, France, January 19, 2021. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard GlobalData’s Q2 2021 consumer survey found that only 6% of global respondents were not concerned about the impact of COVID-19. The remaining 94% were ‘extremely’, ‘slightly’ or ‘quite’ concerned. With concerns high, the opportunity to get vacci...
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has commended the European Commission for its leadership and speed in delivering the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) and urged states to make it their global standard for digital vaccine certificates. FILE PHOTO: A woman shows a COVID-19 health pass in a cafe as France brings in tougher restrictions where a proof of immunity will be required to access most of the public spaces or to travel on an inter-city train in Paris, France, August 9, 2021. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier IATA has already announced that the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) and UK NHS COVID Pass can now be uploaded into IATA Travel Pass as verified proof of vaccination for travel. “The DCC was delivered in record time to help facilitate the reopening of EU states...
Read MoreEconomic losses are mounting in developing countries due to the absence of widespread COVID-19 vaccinations The crash in international tourism due to the coronavirus pandemic could cause a loss of more than $4 trillion to the global GDP for the years 2020 and 2021, according to an UNCTAD report published on 30 June. The estimated loss has been caused by the pandemic’s direct impact on tourism and its ripple effect on other sectors closely linked to it. The report, jointly presented with the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), says international tourism and its closely linked sectors suffered an estimated loss of $2.4 trillion in 2020 due to direct and indirect impacts of a steep drop in international tourist arrivals. A similar loss may occur this year, the report warns...
Read MoreCyprus is offering hassle-free holidays to fully vaccinated individuals from 65 countries from May 10 as it seeks to recoup lost ground from the pandemic. The Mediterranean island, which has fared better than most countries in containing the COVID-19 outbreak, will accept vaccines permitted by the European Medicines Agency and Sputnik V made by Russia - its second largest market. FILE PHOTO: People paddle on a stand-up board during sunrise near a beach in Larnaca, Cyprus. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou "I think it's a fantastic initiative and I think it's very very important for people to know, that irrespective of (country risk) categorisation, if someone is fully vaccinated they no longer require tests to come to Cyprus," Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios told Reuters. T...
Read MoreThree days after U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention issued new guidance to the cruise ship industry on Friday, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has come out with its response and called for lifting of the conditional sailing orders for the cruise lines. CLIA represents 95% of global ocean-going cruise capacity and the largest network of travel agents and agencies specializing in cruise travel. On Monday, it reiterated its call for the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) to be lifted. In its statement CLIA said, “We share the priority of the Biden Administration to control the virus—and commend the significant advancements made in the US that are a model for others. We also respect the authority of the CDC to implement measures in the int...
Read MoreTourism first! Island of Phuket in mass vaccination drive ahead of the rest of Thailand
In Thailand, it’s the all-important tourism sector that has jumped to the head of the COVID-19 vaccination line, with the country’s most popular resort island embarking on a mass inoculation programme two months ahead of the rest of the country. The island of Phuket aims to deliver shots to at least 460,000 people - most of its population - as it gears up for July 1, when vaccinated overseas visitors will no longer be required to quarantine. People receive the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine as the Thai resort island of Phuket rushes to vaccinate its population amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, and ahead of a July 1 ending of strict quarantine for overseas visitors, to bring back tourism revenue in Phuket, Thailand, April 1, 2021. REUTERS/Jorge Silva Phuket also has its ...
Read MoreThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention on Friday issued new guidance to the cruise ship industry, including the need for COVID-19 vaccinations, a necessary step before passenger voyages can resume. The new technical instructions, the first update since October, include increasing from weekly to daily reporting frequency of COVID-19 cases and illnesses and implementing routine testing of all crew based on a ship’s COVID-19 status and establishing a plan and timeline for vaccination of crew and port personnel. “COVID-19 vaccination efforts will be critical in the safe resumption of passenger operations,” the CDC said. The 2,052-passenger Carnival Imagination is anchored off the coast of Half Moon Cay, a private Bahamian island available to Carnival Cruise Lines' ...
Read MoreThe World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is calling for the international community to show solidarity with Small Island Developing States by ensuring they have access to COVID-19 vaccinations. With tourism a leading employer and economic pillar for many of the SIDS, the United Nations specialized agency has stressed that pledges to ensure ‘nobody is left behind’ in the recovery phase of the crisis must be backed up with firm actions. Given the relatively small size of the populations of the SIDS, the cost of mass vaccinations will be minimal compared to the potential benefits of restarting tourism. Moreover, given tourism’s wide value chain and proven ability to create opportunity for all, the impact of rolling out mass vaccinations and allowing tourism to restart, will go beyond econom...
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