(CNN) – As the summer heats up, the US is lifting its long-standing requirement for all travelers entering the country to take a negative Covid-19 test. The news brings with it a collective sigh of relief and a potential flood of young international travelers in an already chaotic summer season. For many American travelers, evolution means they no longer have to worry about the hassle of testing before returning to the United States or the cost and burden of staying abroad to be quarantined and wait for a negative test result if one test before the trip comes out positive. . International travelers to the US, meanwhile, can plan trips without fear of having to cancel due to a positive test. Most non-US citizens need to be vaccinated to travel the country. And the troubled travel industry is applauding the removal of the barrier to both potential customer groups. The rule, which went into effect in January 2021, will expire for travelers to the United States starting at 12:01 p.m. ET on Sunday, 12 June. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it will re-evaluate the rule if Covid-19 changes the situation. The development comes after intense pressure from travel and tourism groups, as the industry continues to recover after more than two years of recession caused by the pandemic. For months, such organizations have been calling for the abolition of the testing requirement, as has been the case in Canada and the United Kingdom since March, as well as in most European countries. Following Friday’s announcement of the end of the rule, the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) and the US Travel Association (USTA) were among the groups that issued statements welcoming the move. AHLA President and CEO Chip Rogers described it as a “major victory for hotels and the wider travel industry” in a statement released on Friday, calling the requirement outdated and creating a “creepy effect” on incoming international travel. . USTA President and CEO Roger Dow, meanwhile, said ending the test requirement could bring an additional 5.4 million visitors to the United States and an additional $ 9 billion in travel expenses by the end of 2022. Tourists and locals take a walk in a tourist area of Athens, Greece, on June 1, 2022. Louisa Gouliamaki / AFP via Getty Images
“2022 is three seasons in one”
While many in the travel industry support growth, some experts warn of increased demand, reduced availability and higher prices that are sure to result, exacerbating what was already a chaotic travel landscape both in the State and abroad. “Europe will be flooded with American travelers,” Mina Agnos, president of Travelive, a travel agency specializing in Greece with offices in Athens and Delray Beach, Florida, told CNN Travel via email. Talking to travel advisors across the US, the consensus is that 2022 is “three seasons in one”. The availability of the hotel is very limited and the local services [such as] “Guides, guides, local airline, ferry and rail services and restaurants will all be in capacity this season,” Agnos said. It is an assessment that the tourism industry, especially the hotel sector, is excited to see. Chitra Stern, CEO of Martinhal Resorts, a family group of luxury real estate hotels across Portugal, said US test restrictions “pushed many travelers back” from planning overseas trips, especially families, who make up key demographic element of the brand. With a negative test no longer required to return to the US, Stern expects to see an increase in US-based visitors – the top market for Martinhal property in central Lisbon – for bookings in Portugal and throughout Europe. “We now look forward to welcoming many more Americans booking last minute summer trips and long weekend city holidays,” Stern said. London expects an increase in American visitors now that the testing rule has been lifted. US airline passengers arriving in London almost reached pre-pandemic levels during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. Abbie Trayler-Smith for CNN Laura Citron, CEO of Visit London, expects to see a similar rise in American travelers, who are London’s largest inbound tourism market, heading to the capital this summer. “Throughout the pandemic, we have seen explosions in bookings from the United States to London when travel restrictions were lifted,” Citron told CNN Travel via text message, adding that passengers on flights from the United States to London had almost reached pre-pandemic levels during pandemic week. Platinum Jubilee celebrations. According to Agnos, travelers with a heart for Greek vacations this summer should start planning their trips immediately and expect to face the crowds. If Agnos’ business is a sign, the Mediterranean country is ready to see a tourism overflow in the coming months, so much so that June is “essentially sold out” for travel guides, transport vehicles and even yachts, Agnos said. It is the first in the 21-year history of the travel agency. “The availability of hotels is a serious concern, even in areas like Athens and Mykonos, where stock has always been sufficient,” Agnos explained. “This is the first time we have ever had to stop doing business due to lack of availability.” View of Boni Windmill and Mykonos Old Port in May 2020. This summer accommodation will be cramped, says a travel consultant. Byron Smith / Getty Images
“Intensity of transatlantic demand”
It remains to be seen exactly how much the lifting of the restriction will increase the cost of airfare. But it is safe to say that with the inevitable increase in demand, passengers should consider booking flights as soon as possible to achieve the best supply. According to Scott Keyes, founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights, an airline ticketing and booking website, increased demand could result in airlines expanding their routes and services to popular destinations such as Europe. “I expect to see a surge in demand for transatlantic travel and for airlines to respond by adding more flights to capture new groups of travelers looking to travel between the US and Europe,” Keyes said. “It’s definitely supply and demand,” Kyle Potter, author of the airline deal and travel site Thrifty Traveler, told CNN Travel. “A lot of domestic fares are higher than ever, and that’s because there’s the most demand,” Potter said. “As more people look to Europe and beyond, we could easily see airlines increase fares, especially during the peak summer season.” Potter recommends traveling in mid to late August and early September. “We are still finding some great deals for Europe, such as $ 500 (or less) fares for London or Rome at that time, as the transatlantic rush has eased a bit.” Travelers to high-volume destinations will also need to be a little extra patient in light of the staff shortages that the travel industry continues to face in all areas of hotels, restaurants and airlines. “I have concerns about service delivery this year,” Agnos said. “Staffing remains very difficult, so service levels may not be comparable to pre-Covid levels, especially in luxury travel services.” Kathy Hirst, travel manager for Black Pearl Luxury Services, a custom travel company based in Salt Lake City, said she was “excited” about the removal of the test requirement and was also expecting some frustration from customers waiting to book. International travel until the test was no longer necessary and may now face limited availability. Visitors had already lined up to enter the famous Louvre Museum in Paris on April 29. The summer travel season will be very busy in many parts of Europe. AFP via Getty Images “Now that they are ready to book, they will probably be disappointed with the lack of stock with excursions, hotels, cruises and airline tickets,” Hirst said via email. “Right now we find that many hotels, airlines, travel companies and cruises are having a hard time operating due to a lack of staff.” Like Agnos, Hirst has seen a significant increase in searches and bookings in European hot spots such as France, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom. She said destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico are also “extremely popular” and demand in all sectors was so high that some of her colleagues were rejecting requests to book customized travel. “These routes are a lot of fun to plan, but very time consuming and so many consultants are rejecting new clients because we are overwhelmed with requests,” Hirst said. “People have been waiting for two years to travel and inert demand is a good problem we have to deal with, but it also makes the days very long and stressful,” he said. “Hopefully things will get better in the coming months, but for now travel is hotter than I’ve seen in more than 20 years in the industry.” CNN’s Marnie Hunter and Forrest Brown contributed to this report.
