Covid-19: Tourism Is Banned When Better Solutions Exist
Most governments across the globe have banned non-essential visits (read: tourism) due to Covid-19. But better solutions exist and should be considered.
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This past Christmas, our family decided to forgo physical gift-giving. We already have too much stuff and hardly remember who gave what. Instead, we gave each other experiences. My daughter gave me a cocktail box subscription. We gave my mother-in-law a visit to her home town of Savannah. I gave my wife…. a trip to Ireland.
It turns out 2020 is not the best year to give the gift of travel. The novel coronavirus has already canceled that Savannah trip. But the European Union and Irish government threaten to cancel our late summer trip to Ireland. Countries across the globe have banned visitors. And while it’s an easy solution to keep citizens safe from a global pandemic, it is not necessary.
There is a better solution, one that balances the importance of travel to our economies with the need for safety.
Tourism Bans Have Become Normal
Canada and the United States are in the midst of a border closure that prohibits non-essential travel between the two countries until at least July 21st. It’s the first time these two countries have ever been closed to each other.
Europe allows visitors from just a handful of countries, the United States not among them. Iceland is going along with the E.U. guidelines and has decided not to allow tourists from the USA.
Sint Maarten, the Dutch country in the Caribbean, had decided to allow U.S. tourists. It then banned flights from the United States at the last minute. So you can theoretically go there, but you’ll need to fly through a third country.
Sint Maarten will revisit the flight restriction on July 14th, but don’t expect changes. The Daily Herald says officials on the French side of the island objected to American visitors. Those objections appear tied to the European Union’s new travel safe list. French St. Martin is member of the bloc.
The Big Picture Has Been Lost
There is little doubt that restrictions on visitors are needed. Covid-19 is out of control in the United States, and any country would be foolish to allow U.S. residents to visit unchecked.
But the goal should not be to prohibit international travel. Tourism bans are simply a means to an end, to slow the spread of Covid-19. I have no doubt they work, but it’s like using a sledgehammer when a nutcracker will do. Bans also cause great economic hardship to people whose livelihoods depend on tourism.
Often, the regulations don’t make sense.
Look at the new E.U. regulations, which don’t allow a U.S. resident to visit Europe at all (for non-essential purposes), even if that person hasn’t been in the United States for a couple of weeks. Canada is on Europe’s safe list and their residents may travel to Europe right now. But a U.S. resident who’s been working in Canada for the past several weeks cannot.
Wouldn’t it be wise to attack the problem itself, and not ban people based simply on where they live? A travel ban is a solution built on expediency, not on big picture goals.
The Better Solution: Testing!
Before the country changed course, Iceland had a good plan. Rather than ban tourism, they would ask everyone to test for Covid-19 upon entry. Visitors could choose between taking a swab test or go into quarantine for 14 days.
In Sint Maarten, the government requires tourists arriving on the island to submit proof they’ve tested negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours prior to their arrival. The requirement is unrelated to residence. Canadians, Americans and Europeans will all need to show proof.
A negative test for Covid-19 is no guarantee that someone is free of the virus. But neither is a person’s address. There is no fail proof method of detecting coronavirus. But I’d argue testing is the better option, and more fair to those who’ve been responsible about safety during this time. Plus, no one wants to fail this test and ruin their vacation.
Even Hawaii is coming around to common sense. Since late March, the state has vigorously enforced a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival. Violators face a $5000 fine or a year in prison.
Hawaii’s tourism industry has been bludgeoned for it, with visitor arrivals down 98.9%. Unemployment, just three percent in March, stands above 22 percent.
But starting August 1st October 15th (fingers crossed), the state will try testing instead. Visitors who get a negative Covid-19 test 72 hours prior to arrival can avoid quarantine. It’s about time.
Final Thoughts
Tourism has been banned by too many countries during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the early day, it might have made sense while health experts determined what exactly we’re dealing with.
But in consultation with health experts, testing and robust contact tracing is the better and more fair solution. It’s one that gives the tourism industry and those who make a living in it a fighting chance. It gives you and me a chance to take a much needed break from the everyday, something we need this year more than ever.