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Former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg will soon be sworn in as the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Travel Tech congratulates President Biden’s pick to lead the agency during this challenging time for the nation’s travel and tourism industry, and looks forward to working with him to find ways to get people safely, securely, and confidently traveling once again.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the millions of people who work – or once worked – in the U.S. travel and tourism industry has been devastating, and Travel Tech continues to urge Congress and the new administration to pass additional relief and recovery measures in order to avoid total economic collapse. Travel Tech was pleased to see the Biden Administration issue a new requirement that all air passengers traveling into the U.S. must present a negative COVID-19 test within three days of departure. The administration should, however, avoid guidance suggesting pre-flight and post-flight quarantines and consider lifting existing entry restrictions – known as “section 212(f)” – particularly for those flying from the EU, UK, and Brazil.

Further, as our members strive to promote innovation and adaptability in a rapidly changing marketplace, DOT must continue to play its important role as watchdog of unfair and deceptive practices and methods of competition. Numerous rulemakings and proceedings dealing with consumer protections for airline passengers were either stalled, removed, or left incomplete over the past few years. Travel Tech urges the department to exercise continued vigilance in ensuring that consumers of air travel are protected and have access to all the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions.

Travel Tech members are an integral part of the nation’s travel ecosystem and we stand ready to assist DOT Secretary Buttigieg in facing these new challenges head on.