In a statement, the Global Business Travel Organisation GBTA called on governments worldwide to end Covid-19 testing requirements for vaccinated travellers. Pointing out that it has been almost two years now since the global pandemic was declared, the association headquartered in the U.S. informs that while entire segments of the global economy have successfully reopened, business travel is still lagging far behind in recovery.

According to GBTA’s, its global members are expressing that their biggest business travel challenge are inconsistent government rules that include cumbersome testing requirements and unclear vaccination policies – from understanding acceptable vaccine types to booster requirements to vaccination expiration dates. Companies were reluctant to send their people back on the road, GBTA states, largely due to the risk of them getting stuck in a foreign country. 

GBTA explains, the association has recently held successful conferences in Europe (which brought attendees from 21 countries) and Latin America and meetings in the U.S. and Canada. Covid-19 testing requirements were impacting the return to business travel, stifling continuity and competitiveness. In a recent GBTA industry poll, nearly 50% would like entry test requirements to go away for the vaccinated, and even more so in North America. 

The association believes Covid-19 testing for vaccinated travellers should be eliminated. As long as confusing and unnecessary testing measures are maintained, previously forecast estimates for business travel recovery by 2023 were at risk (subject to further lifting of travel rules) and would push the return to pre-pandemic levels into 2024.