A Step Backward

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has reacted to new travel restrictions that a number of countries have placed on travellers arriving from China.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “After nearly three years, it is great news that China is finally opening up. Chinese visitors around the world contributed U.S.$ 253 billion to the global economy in 2019, creating jobs and boosting regional economies.”

Simpson continued: “The recovery of the Chinese Travel & Tourism sector is very welcome. Introducing knee-jerk travel restrictions shows Governments have learned nothing about the behaviour of this virus and continue to ignore the World Health Organisation’s advice that border restrictions do not stop the virus mutating or moving around the globe.”

And she concluded: “The reintroduction of ineffective COVID testing to Chinese travellers is a step backwards for the global Travel & Tourism sector.”