100+ CEOs sign a letter to the G7 and three other countries calling for leadership and strong international coordination

WTTC and 120 of the world’s major travel & global business leaders have sent a letter which urgently calls on the Heads of State and international opposition leaders of the G7* group of countries, as well as Australia, South Korea, and Spain, as the biggest source markets in Travel & Tourism, for strong leadership and unprecedented international collaboration, to save the struggling Travel & Tourism sector and recover the millions of jobs already impacted.

The 120 leaders backing the call included; business leaders of major airlines, such as British Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Jet2, WestJet, and Virgin Atlantic; top international hotel groups, such as Accor, Best Western, Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott, Melia´ Hotels and Radisson; and major tour operators & travel companies, such as Abercrombie & Kent, American Express, Carlson Wagonlit, Expedia, Travelport, TUI, and Uber. For the full list of participating companies, please take a look at the letters.

Despite Travel & Tourism’s crucial importance to the local and global economies, WTTC is gravely concerned there is no clear or internationally coordinated effort to protect this uniquely exposed sector.

In this letter, WTTC has identified four measures that need concerted international framework and leadership to combat the coronavirus:

1. Wearing a mask: This should be mandatory on all modes of transport throughout the entire traveller journey, as well as when visiting any interior venue and in locations where there is a restricted movement which results in close personal contact and required physical distancing cannot be maintained. According to medical evidence, such measures can reduce the risk of the spread by up to 92%.
2. Testing and contact tracing: We need governments to invest and agree on extensive, rapid, and reliable testing, ideally with results available in as quick as 90 minutes, and at a low cost, before departure and/ or after arrival (symptomatic and asymptomatic would-be travellers), supported by effective and agreed on contact tracing tools. The application of one or multiple tests, with the second after five days, will help to isolate infected people.
3. Quarantine for positive tests only: Quarantine for healthy travellers, which only serves to damage the economy, should not be necessary if testing is in place before departure and/or on arrival, and effective containment measures are taken five days later. This can replace blanket quarantine in a more targeted and effective way significantly reducing the negative impact on jobs and the economy.
4. Reinforcing global protocols and standardise measures: The adoption of global health and safety protocols will help rebuild traveller confidence and ensure a consistent, coordinated and aligned approach of the travel experience in addition to significantly reducing the risk of infection. We also support the Public Health Corridor Concept which promotes a clean and safe end-to-end journey.

WTTC research has shown that even a modest resumption of travelling can have massive economic benefits and bring thousands of desperately needed jobs back; providing a critical boost for the struggling Travel & Tourism sector and generating desperately needed GDP for economies left floundering after being struck by the pandemic.

*G7 group of countries are Germany, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, UK and the U.S

Signatories include

WTTC; Abercrombie & Kent Group; Accessible Travel Solutions; Accor; Air Canada; Airports Council International (ACI); Alpitour World; American Express Global Business Travel; AmericanTours International; Apple Leisure Group; Bespoke Capital Partners; Best Day Travel Group; Best Western International; Bricks. Corporation; British Airways; Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort Aruba; Cannery Row Company; Carlson Wagonlit Travel; Certares; Changi Airport Group; City Sightseeing Worldwide; Cocha Travel; Dallas Fort Worth International Airport; Denver International Airport; Dubai Airports International; Duty Free World Council; El Cid Resorts; Emaar Hospitality Group; Emirates Group; eRoam; Etihad Aviation Group; Europamundo Vacaciones; European Travel Commission; Eurotur Argentina; EXO Travel; Expedia Group; Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry; Finavia Corporation; Flight Centre Limited; Global Rescue; Goldman Sachs; Greater Toronto Airports Authority; Grupo Posadas; Grupo Puntacana; Hilton; Hotelbeds; HRS Group; Hyatt Hotels Corporation; Iberia; Iberostar; IBM; IC Bellagio; ICF; IFEMA-Feria de Madrid; Indian Hotels Company; Ingle International Inc.; InterContinental Hotels Group; Internova Travel Group (Formerly Travel Leaders); Intrepid Group; Jet2.com and Jet2holidays; Journey Mexico; JTB Corp; KSL Capital Partners; Libertador Hoteles; Resorts & Spas; Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group; Marriott International; Meliá Hotels International; Minor Hotel Group; MMGYHills Balfour; NYC & Company; Oman Aviation Group; OYO Hotels and Homes; Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA); Palace Resorts; Palladium Hotel Group; Panorama Group; PressReader International; PrioTicket; Quintana Roo Tourism Board; Radisson Hotel Group; Rajah Travel Corporation; Rajawali Property Group; RAK Hospitality Holding LLC; Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority; Reed Exhibitions Ltd; Room Mate Hotels; Seera; SGS; Signature Travel Network; Singapore Airlines; South American Tours; Spencer Stuart; Swain Destinations; Tauck Inc; TBO Group; The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Limited; The Travel Corporation; Tourism Promotion Board Philippines; Travelport; TUI Group; Turismo de Sevilla; Turkish Tourism Investors Association (TTYD); Uber; Undercover Tourist; V&A Waterfront; Value Retail (Bicester Villages); Via Outlets; Virgin Atlantic; Virtuoso; Westjet; Wharf Hotels Group; WorldReach Software; Yankee Leisure Group; Yunnan Mekong Group; Zaf Group

G7+3 Letters