Int'l coordination must be stepped up

The Global Tourism Crisis Committee met for the first time in 2021. Organised by the World Tourism Organization ( UNWTO), the crosssector body met in Madrid during the 113th session of the UNWTO Executive Council to advance solid plans to restart tourism. Key outputs from the meeting focused on the integration of vaccines into a harmonised approach to safe travel and launching a coordinated effort to boost confidence in the sector.

With countries around the world now rolling out vaccines against the COVID-19 virus, the Committee noted that this opens a critical window in the fight against the pandemic and to promote the safe resumption of international travel. Members highlighted the importance of stepping up coordination, within the framework of the International Health Regulations, of vaccination certificates to ensure the implementation of common, harmonised digital related travel principles, protocols and documents. This would be in line with the work being carried out by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has reported at potential applications of digital technology to enable safe international travel and facilitate arrivals and departures. The implementation of CART Take-Off Guidance was also identified as an effective tool.