US confirms easing of restrictions for many foreign travellers from 8 November

USA. The US will allow fully vaccinated foreign visitors from 33 states to enter the country from 8 November, easing restrictions that have been in place for around 18 months. The new rules will apply to 26 Schengen Agreement states as well as the UK, Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland and South Africa. The move is a potentially huge boost to travel retailers that service travellers flying to and from the US.

It confirms a White House statement last month that many travellers from overseas would be able to visit the US once they could show proof of vaccination and provide a negative COVID-19 test. Since last year, only US citizens, residents and foreigners with certain exemptions have been allowed to enter the country.

The move is a potentially huge boost to travel retailers serving US-bound travellers in Europe and other markets (Heathrow T2 pictured) as well as in the US itself

White House Assistant Press Secretary Kevin Munoz tweeted today: “The US’ new travel policy that requires vaccination for foreign national travellers to the United States will begin on November 8. This announcement and date applies to both international air travel and land travel. This policy is guided by public health, stringent, and consistent.”

Greeting the move, Virgin Atlantic Airways tweeted that this was “the announcement that we’ve all been waiting for”.

Speaking to The Moodie Davitt Report for our October Magazine, Heathrow Retail & Property Director Fraser Brown greeted the news that restrictions were likely to be eased, now confirmed. US routes accounted for 16 million passengers to and from Heathrow in 2019.

“It’s a big step forward,” Brown told us. “We have got two home-based carriers here, British Airways and Virgin, and the US is incredibly important for those businesses. For their profitability it’s key, with many higher yielding travellers on those routes. From an airport operator view what it means for trade it also huge. Pre-COVID Heathrow was by value the UK’s largest port, and the value of trade was worth around £220 billion between the UK and the US. These trade flows have not stopped and remain critical.

“The most important thing is what it does for people, with so many cultural and family connections, between here and the US. Getting that market open is important.”

Opening US routes, he added, would also help Heathrow hit its projections of 43 million passengers in 2022, around double the expected number for 2021.

Food & Beverage The Magazine eZine