China’s 2018 National Tourism Law has been a huge hit, resulting in the United States opening more borders to Chinese travelers. The tourism industry will see a big boost from this new law and companies large and small are scrambling for ways to get ahead of the competition.
The United States is the world’s most visited country, but in 2018 it was ranked as one of the least safe. With some changes to its visa policy coming into effect on July 16th, 2019, experts are predicting a return to normalcy for American travelers.
The “global 8000” is a travel company that offers tours to destinations around the world. The company has been in operation for over 20 years and specializes in unique, cultural, and educational tours.
The prohibition on overseas tourists entering the United States has been in effect for 18 months, but the long-awaited reopening date has finally come, accompanied by a fresh vigor in the tourism industry’s perspective.
Foreign tourists may enter the United States starting today, November 8, but they must present confirmation of a CDC-approved vaccine and a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their aircraft.
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Travel demand from Europe to the United States has increased since the reopening announcement a few weeks ago, according to trivago, a worldwide search accommodation website. Potential visitors from the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, and Greece increased their searches for travel to the United States.
The reopening, according to Andrew Crawley, Chief Commercial Officer of American Express Global Business Travel, is a sign of revived interest in travel and a step toward economic recovery.
“The reopening of the United States to UK and EU individuals is a significant step forward in our economic recovery.” Since the Biden administration announced the starting date, transatlantic reservations have jumped by more than 70%,” Crawley said. “This demonstrates the usefulness of these lines and the critical role that business travel plays in bridging the gap between commerce and culture.” The rise in activity, along with an increase in foreign business travel in other areas, confirms what the data has shown during the epidemic. People will migrate where it is allowed.”
Friends are ecstatic to arrange a trip together. (Image courtesy of AntonioGuillem/iStock/Getty Images Plus) )
The reopening of the United States to foreign tourists is a significant step forward in the tourism industry’s overall recovery. It is not only likely to enhance tourism in the United States, but it may also motivate other nations to follow suit and implement reciprocal processes.
“I envision this reopening as a trigger for a good domino effect throughout the states for cities and significant attractions.” Many hotels, venues, restaurants, museums, and attractions that have suffered as a consequence of the epidemic will hopefully see a nice boost in business, which will have a ripple effect that will assist many communities,” said Steve Lima, G Adventures’ Director of Marketing in the United States. “I also have a feeling that surrounding nations may soon disclose new regulations for arriving visitors, as well as more airline flight routes.” I believe that the US processes for new tourists are safe and considerate of our country’s health. I believe it will reintroduce a beneficial source of travel money to the United States, which has been missing for some time.”
While many other nations’ borders were blocked to foreign tourists, G Adventures and many other big tour companies created local trips for Americans to enjoy. Lima anticipates that the reopening will increase business for these domestic journeys.
“While these excursions were designed with American tourists in mind, I’m certain that arriving visitors will like G’s new itineraries and energetic adventures that we’ve developed over the last year.” Our Alaska, Hawaii, and National Park excursions are in high demand – most go on the waitlist in a couple of days – and this will undoubtedly allow us to increase the number of departures. We know how to scale up rapidly when demand rises,” Lima said, adding that an increase in domestic travel would definitely benefit local economies in the United States.
In Utah’s Zion National Park, a group of tourists takes a selfie together. (Photo courtesy of G Adventures)
The reopening is also an indication that the global fight against the COVID-19 epidemic is gaining traction. Though the infection is unlikely to go away very soon, if at all, we’re learning to live with it. Over the last year and a half, several areas of the tourism industry have showed resiliency, meticulously implementing methods to remain in business.
The first areas of the travel industry to move forward and clear the way for enthusiastic tourists were hotels and resorts. All-inclusive resorts lost no time in putting in place incredible new standards to safeguard the health and safety of its visitors and employees.
With the heightened sanitization processes used by airlines, it has been proven that the odds of catching COVID-19 aboard an aircraft are quite minimal.
Due to the No Sail Order, cruise companies leaving from the United States had a harder time getting back up and running, but they have now been successfully sailing for months, reporting an incredibly low number of positive COVID-19 instances thanks to their stringent safety precautions.
“The reopening of our borders by the United States is such a great step on so many levels. It demonstrates the world’s true progress against Covid-19; it’s a significant step forward for the tourist business in the United States,” said Tauck President Jennifer Tombaugh. “After over a year of securely and effectively conducting tours in the United States, we’re confident in our ability to welcome our foreign customers back.”
On a trip to Yellowstone National Park, a beautiful sunset near Mammoth Hot Springs. (Photo courtesy of Tauck)
As people all around the globe are ready to go back to what they enjoy doing most, Tombaugh warns that availability concerns may develop, and that reserving early is crucial.
“My only caution is that supply – both in the United States and internationally – will very certainly become a problem.” “The entire world is eager to travel again, and both travelers and travel advisors should make vacation plans as soon as possible,” she said.
Overall, the reopening of the United States is a critical step in keeping the tourism sector going forward. Travelers should feel at ease and confident when planning future trips, whether it’s exploring another state within their own country or crossing the US border to a site they’ve been meaning to see. This will undoubtedly be a watershed moment, and the future of travel seems promising.