07/19/2021
US President Joe Biden hinted at a White House meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel late last week that he might lift travel restrictions from Europe for the foreseeable future.
He was pressured by Merkel when they talked about reopening transcontinental travel across the Atlantic, and pledged to wait for the green light from his COVID team.
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Commenting on the news, Martin Ferguson, Vice President of Global Communications and Public Affairs at American Express Global Business Travel said: “President Biden’s comments are encouraging. Business, travel and aviation need a timetable for the return of international travel. We know from our customers that there is a huge demand for travel to the States. the United States across Europe. We therefore urge the US government to provide clarity as soon as possible.”
Other travel companies are also asking Washington to lift restrictions as quickly as possible. They rely on studies from the US Department of Defense, the Mayo Clinic (a national academic medical center) and Harvard University, among others, which state that with the right safety measures, flying can resume.
Travel bans related to Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom are costing the US economy $1.5 billion a week – enough to support 10,000 US jobs.
Hansmartin Tromp is a freelance text writer and editor-in-chief of Business Trip.
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