WASHINGTON (June 29, 2020)—U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement in response to the formal announcement that the European Union will still exclude most travelers from the U.S. as it opens its borders:
“The E.U.’s announcement is incredibly disappointing, and a step in the wrong direction as we seek to rebuild our global economy.
“In the U.S. alone, travel-related jobs account for more than a third of lost employment due to the fallout of the pandemic. Health is paramount, and the public has a major role to play by embracing best practices such as wearing masks, but we are at a stage when it should be possible to make progress.
“This is unwelcome news, and will have major negative implications for an economic recovery—particularly if this ban results in cycles of retaliation, as is so often the case.”