Following its
call on governments
to adopt a more internationally coordinated response to COVID-19 issued in December, the World Travel and Tourism Council is asking governments to introduce a “digital travel portal” to allow for safer travel that reduces delays at airports.
In a new report, titled Implementing a Digital Travel Portal, the
WTTC
in collaboration with the Commons Project Foundation is calling for a clear global system focused on an individual’s health status that does not bring international travel to a standstill, which “throughout the pandemic has caused serious economic damage.”
The report outlines how governments can implement a digital travel portal that checks a traveler’s health status prior to traveling. The solution would apply not only to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to any future health crises.
Through a portal that would be managed by destinations, travelers could electronically share their vaccination status or any other required documentation ahead of a trip. The data shared could also be combined with other security or visa requirements.
“Over the past two years, governments reached for their own solutions to halt the pandemic by restricting travel, but the result was chaos. Chaos for the confused traveller and chaos for economies with the loss of 62 million jobs worldwide in 2020,” says Julia Simpson, WTTC president and CEO.
“Today we publish a report that provides guidance on how to create a single digital travel solution that governments can adopt and join up at an international level. If we ever face another pandemic, we must do a better job. People should be allowed to travel based on their individual health status by using a one-stop government digital platform before they start their journey.
Subscribe to our newsletter below
“Governments talk about resilience post-COVID. By investing in this system now, governments and their economies will be better protected against any future pandemics.”
The report offers 12 recommendations around privacy, compliance, language, communications and more as general best practices to be applied to a digital travel portal.
Additionally, it outlines five recommendations related to specific features and functionalities considered as critical for an effective portal such as a traveler questionnaire and government integration.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, now is the time for governments to ensure preparedness for whatever may come next,” says Zhenya Lindgardt, CEO of the Commons Project Foundation.
“The past two years have shown us that health will likely remain a core component of border crossing moving forward, and the implementation of digital portals for health status verification is a critical step toward building more resilience in the face of public health crises.”