The Diplomat in Spain
  • Frontpage
  • News
    • Spain
    • World
    • The world in Spain
    • Diplomatic Breakfast
    • Diplomacy with a history
    • The bag
    • Social life
    • Appointments
  • Tribune
  • VIP Club
  • Embassies
    • Embassies Directory
    • Protocol
    • International legislation
  • Discover Spain
  • UNWTO News
  • Leisure
    • Culture & Art
    • Entertainment
    • Movies
  • es Español
  • en English
  • Account
No Result
View All Result
  • Frontpage
  • News
    • Spain
    • World
    • The world in Spain
    • Diplomatic Breakfast
    • Diplomacy with a history
    • The bag
    • Social life
    • Appointments
  • Tribune
  • VIP Club
  • Embassies
    • Embassies Directory
    • Protocol
    • International legislation
  • Discover Spain
  • UNWTO News
  • Leisure
    • Culture & Art
    • Entertainment
    • Movies
No Result
View All Result
The Diplomat in Spain
No Result
View All Result

UNWTO and WHO call for travel restrictions to be lifted

Both agencies believe general restrictions should be replaced by risk-sensitive and context-specific policies

February 25, 2022
in Frontpage, Portada, UNWTO News
A moment during the meeting between the two delegations./ Photo: UNWTO

A moment during the meeting between the two delegations./ Photo: UNWTO

The Diplomat

 

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have called for the lifting of travel bans as they do not provide added value and continue to contribute to economic and social stress. The two UN agencies agreed to collaborate on a global trust architecture for recovery of the travel sector.

 

Over recent days, a growing number of countries around the world have started easing their rules for international arrivals, including the easing of travel bans. These decisions are in line with WHO’s latest recommendations for safe international mobility, which highlight the ineffectiveness of blanket restrictions in controlling virus transmissions. Such a trend is also consistent with UNWTO’s repeated warnings of the great social, economic and development harm of restrictions.

 

UNWTO and WHO: a shared approach

In Geneva, the leaders of UNWTO and WHO agreed on the importance of easing or lifting travel bans. Blanket restrictions should be replaced with risk -based, evidence- informed, context-specific policies.

 

“Guided by UNWTO, global tourism has followed WHO advice from the very start of this crisis,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili. He underscored the need to “continue to do so, and to open up again, safely and responsibly, and allow tourism to deliver on its unique potential as a driver of recovery and growth”.

 

Risk and evidence-driven approach

According to the WHO International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee on COVID-19, all measures applied to international travellers should be based on “risk assessments – including testing, isolation and vaccinations”. Furthermore, the financial burden of such measures should not be placed on travellers themselves.

 

“As countries ease travel restrictions, health must remain the key priority. By basing their decisions on evidence and a risk-based approach adapted to their specific context, countries can find the right balance between keeping people safe, protecting livelihoods and the economy, and keeping borders open”, said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

 

Building a global trust architecture

The two UN agencies also stressed the need for clear and consistent rules relating to health and travel. There is a need for building a global trust architecture for societies and economies in the context of the pandemic, and there is a “real opportunity for tourism to contribute to that process, with UNWTO playing a critical role”, said Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.

 

Properly managed, tourism has the potential to act as a force for development and opportunity, as highlighted in the sector’s enhanced relevance in the wider United Nations development agenda. Destinations around the world report increased tourist arrival numbers on the back of easing or removing restrictions. This trend offers the potential to kickstart economic recovery and put social development progress back on track.

 

Among the countries to have revised their travel restrictions is Switzerland, one of Europe’s leading destinations, which welcomed the UNWTO delegation at the beginning of a week of key meetings.

 

 

ShareTweetSend
Previous Post

Foreign Ministry organises a Summit of Afghan Women abroad

Next Post

Ukraine asks Spain for individual means of protection for civilians

The bag

Ricardo Scavone to leave his post as Paraguayan ambassador in mid-June

The current Paraguayan ambassador to Spain, Ricardo Scavone, will leave his post, which he has held since the summer of 2020, on 14 June.

More bags>

Hemeroteca

Receive our newsletter

We use MailChimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to MailChimp for processing. Learn more about MailChimp's privacy practices here.

  • Contacto
  • ¿Quiénes somos?
  • Aviso legal y Propiedad intelectual

© The Diplomat in Spain. All rights reserved.

  • English
  • Español (Spanish)
Account
  • Frontpage
  • News
    • Spain
    • World
    • The world in Spain
    • Diplomatic Breakfast
    • Diplomacy with a history
    • The bag
    • Social life
    • Appointments
  • Tribune
  • VIP Club
  • Embassies
    • Embassies Directory
    • Protocol
    • International legislation
  • Discover Spain
  • UNWTO News
  • Leisure
    • Culture & Art
    • Entertainment
    • Movies

© The Diplomat in Spain. All rights reserved.

Tanto nuestros partners como nosotros utilizamos cookies en nuestro sitio web para personalizar contenido y publicidad o analizar nuestro tráfico. Haciendo click consientes el uso de esta tecnología en nuestra web. Saber más