UNWTO & WHO Call on Lifting of Travel Restrictions, Claim They’re Proven to Be Ineffective

The two UN agencies, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed to co-operate in the recovery of the travel sector and call for the lifting of travel measures that continue to contribute to economic stress and social.

Such comments were made during the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee held in Geneva in early January, during which the members noted that measures such as testing, isolation, quarantine and vaccines imposed on travellers should be based on risk assessments, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

In recent days, a growing number of different countries have already begun to ease their travel rules around the world, aligning them with the WHO recommendations for safe international mobility, after the latter claimed the travel restrictions imposed hadn’t affected the spread of the virus.

A press release issued today by UNWTO stated that the World Health Organization and the World Tourism Organization leaders in Geneva have also agreed on the importance of easing or lifting travel bans.

Meanwhile, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said that global tourism had followed all the advice given by the WHO since the beginning of this crisis.

Furthermore, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added that health should remain a top priority although countries facilitate health measures.

“By basing their decisions on evidence and a risk-based approach adapted to their specific context, countries can find the right balance between keeping people safe, protecting livelihoods and the economy, and keeping borders open,” he also added.

According to the UNWTO, destinations worldwide are reporting an increase in the number of tourists due to the easing of measures and the lifting of restrictions, which could positively impact the economic recovery.

In this regard, Switzerland is one of the top destinations in Europe, which has reviewed its travel restrictions and at the same time welcomed the UNWTO delegation at the beginning of a week of critical meetings.

>> Switzerland Lifts All COVID-19 Travel Requirements & Other Restrictions

Besides, Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, pointed out that to build a global architecture, there is a need to build trust in societies and economies in the context of the pandemic, along with other opportunities for tourism to contribute to this process where UNWTO also plays a critical role.

Recent data published on January 25 by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) shows that during January 10 of this year, nearly two in three people in the European Region had been infected at least once with COVID-19, which means 63 per cent of the continent’s population.

However, since the first COVID-19 cases were detected in the region, a total of 123 million cases have been detected, which is more than a third of the globally confirmed cases.

UNWTO & WHO Call on Lifting of Travel Restrictions, Claim They’re Proven to Be Ineffective