Mobile app displaying QR code linked to traveler's COVID-19 test results. (Photo via iStock/Getty Images Plus/ronstik)

The travel industry reacted swiftly to the Biden administration's new policies on travel, and while some see the new restrictions as harmful to the industry, many were happy they didn't go farther to include options such as quarantines.
On Thursday, December 2, President Biden announced all travelers arriving into the United States must provide a negative COVID-19 test taken within one day of departure, regardless of vaccination status or nationality. He also extended the federal mask mandate into the spring of 2022.

The U.S. Travel Association reminded travelers about the importance of vaccinations and that the industry needs to be nimble in dealing with variants.
“We hope this measure to narrow the pre-departure testing window will be temporary until more is learned about the Omicron variant," said U.S. Travel Association executive vice president of public affairs and policy Tori Emerson Barnes. "In the meantime, the travel industry urges everyone to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible. It has long been known that measures to combat the virus and its variants would evolve and require us to be nimble and adapt."

Emerson-Barnes also noted the importance of communicating the new requirements.
“It is critically important that we communicate these policy changes clearly to global travelers and continue to welcome all qualified visitors to the United States," she said.
Reacting to the latest protocols, Drew Crawley, Chief Commercial Officer at American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) praised the administration for its response.
“It is reassuring to see the White House taking proportionate mitigation measures that support public health protection while keeping travel and the economy moving," said Crawley. "The industry has been investing in traveler safety and wellbeing since the start of the pandemic. We have the agility to keep travelers informed and supported when their trips and plans are disrupted, and systems that can comply with and complement evolving travel requirements.”
Stephen Scott, CEO of Travel Hub 365 & the Odyssey Travel App, said that people shouldn't panic over the new variant.
“My hope is that this reaction to the new variant is a spike and not a true elevation in travel disruption," said Scott. "We have so little information on it but have had doomsday reactions across the media and governments. What I expect is that consumers who jump and cancel their plans may find that a few weeks later we learn that it's just a small bump in the road that would not have truly affected their trip. I recommend patience and proper planning.”
Margie Jordan, owner of Jordan Executive Travel and vice president of TRUE Global Network, is supportive of the extension of mask-wearing but noted that 24-hour testing could be challenging.
“While we're all tired of wearing masks, it's important that we remain diligent in doing everything we can to prevent the spread of Omicron, so extending the mask mandate a bit longer makes sense," said Jordan. "However, the new COVID testing requirement for those entering the US by air adds another layer of complexity for travel advisors. Getting a 24-hour test result in the US can be challenging in some states. Imagine navigating that for your clients or group travelers internationally.”

Travelers will have to keep wearing masks at airport (photo by Eric Bowman)On an encouraging note, hoteliers were happy that the announcement didn't include quarantines and said that testing was manageable.
“I think the primary focus seems to be shifting to the testing environment as opposed to quarantine, which I think is fantastic,” said Hyatt president and CEO Mark Hoplamazian during the general session of AMR Collection’s second annual Amazing Agents Celebration for top-producing travel advisors at Dreams Vista Cancun Golf & Spa Resort. “We’re not talking about something that is a major step. I think quarantining would be a serious problem. I currently chair the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and we’ve been focused on this specific topic with the administration for a while–and our sincere desire is that we continue to just do testing," he said.
Apple Leisure Group CEO Alejandro Reynal and AMR Collection President Gonzalo del Peon, who also spoke at the event, expressed confidence in AMR Collection’s ability to execute the 24-hour testing requirement.
“We can manage the 24 hour testing with the technology we have in place,” Reynal said. “We already have doctors and nurses in all of our resorts we can take care of that in 15 to 20 minutes,” added AMR Collection President Gonzalo del Peon.
VIP Vacations president Jennifer Doncsecz, another speaker at the event, said she believes that such resort partners as AMR Collection are already equipped to handle 24-hour testing.
“I think our resort and destination partners will take this in stride,” Doncsecz said. “I think this is a good protocol to limit the spread of whatever is coming down the road.”
However, the new requirements, which go into effect next week, may cause panic among clients who are already jittery about the new variant from the barrage of new reports.
“If we’ve already sent documents to clients and done a sendoff, telling them that there are new requirements for a new variant can cause stress, which opens up the door for a new conversation that we may not want to have,” she said.
Hopefully, the new policy has the opposite effect and bolsters the confidence of travelers who feel they are being protected.
"This is as much about consumer confidence as it is about safety," said Chad Burt, co-founder of Outside Agents. "While this type of policy may have minimal effect on the spread of the new variant, seeing that something is being done will help assuage consumer fears and bolster consumer confidence. More and more consumers have become used to the fluid nature of travel, so a little boost in confidence will help ensure that the new variant won’t change their plans a bit."
The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) hopes these restrictions will be short-lived and believes they will harm the travel industry.
“While we are pleased to see that the Administration will not be implementing some of the more extreme measures it was reportedly considering, further tightening of the inbound testing window comes just days after a series of country-specific travel bans were imposed and is yet another blow to our industry and travelers around the globe," said Zane Kerby, president and CEO ASTA. "International travel, already extraordinarily complex, will become more complicated still and our members’ businesses and clients will continue to suffer.
“We call on the Administration to revisit the propriety of both the shortened testing window and travel bans as quickly as possible, as we believe that the existing masking, testing, and vaccination requirements–painstakingly crafted by the Administration over the past few months – should obviate the need for new travel restrictions every time a new COVID variant emerges. We can, and must, combat the spread of this virus without destroying an entire sector of the U.S. economy in the process.
“If we had a system where travel restrictions triggered automatic economic relief to impacted businesses, these changes would be much less of a concern. Unfortunately, we do not. As such, we again call on Congress to recognize that for many businesses the pandemic is not over and, at minimum, pass the SAVE Act (H.R. 2120) to include travel agencies in the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program and restore the Employee Retention Tax Credit for the fourth quarter of 2021.”