Source::BreakingTravelNews
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has backed up its sister organization, the World Health Organization (WHO) in its recommendation for travel restrictions to be lifted or at least eased up between nation-states. WHO has concluded that by observing the different types of responses by countries at the emergence of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 those travel restrictions have not been effective in curbing the spread of the pandemic.
The WHO conclusion has been in line with the earlier warnings against the use of blanket restrictions, the tenth meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee (IHR-EC) has also been concerned with such measures causing economic and social harm.
The WHO has expressed that such restrictions might prevent transparent and rapid reporting of emerging variants of COVID-19. They have also pointed out that international travellers' criteria of travel like testing, isolation and quarantine should be based on risk assessment and should not put the financial burden on the traveller.
They have also portrayed travel restrictions as counterproductive as cutting the lifeline of tourism will only cause more harm than good especially for places that are dependent on tourism, the places that should get the most amount of aid and recovery efforts. The United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects Report for 2022 - which UNWTO provided data for - has depicted recovery in both developed and developing countries will be uneven and fragile.
Photo Courtesy: [Mediaunwto/Wikipedia Commons]
