The World Tourism Organization and the International Air Transport Association have announced that in preparation for the restart of international travel, they are introducing the UNWTO-IATA Destination Tracker, a free online tool for governments to provide information on COVID-19 requirements for travel and the measures in place at the destination, with the tracker available through the websites of both organizations.
The UNWTO-IATA Destination Tracker features COVID-19 Indicators including infection rates, positivity rates, and vaccination roll out by destination/country and air travel regulations, including test and quarantine requirements, provided by IATA’s Timatic solution.
It also provides general health and safety requirements such as the use of masks, transit through a country, curfew, or regulations related to restaurants and attractions, provided by national tourism organizations.
The UNWTO-IATA Destination Tracker is said to provide clarity on COVID-19 measures affecting tourism and plans to reopen borders, with UNWTO data showing that one in three destinations remains closed to tourists and also restrictions and in-country measures are continuously being revised.
UNWTO and IATA say that Governments can use the The UNWTO-IATA Destination Tracker to post COVID-19 travel information, so that potential travellers will know what to expect at their destination and that when fully populated with updated destination information, travel stakeholders, including destination management organizations and travel agencies, will be able to obtain the latest destination information, enabling travellers to make informed decisions when borders reopen and travel resumes.
UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili said, “Travellers and companies will be able to check requirements in place for air travel, as well as what measures will be in place at the visited destination”, and “The tool is also critical for governments to track existing travel restrictions and support the safe restart of our sector.”
A report by John Alwyn-Jones
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