On Monday, The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) said that it welcomes the removal of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Travel Health Notice (THN) ratings. That program had previously rated the health/safety of cruise travel.
The THN program was widely criticized by leadership in the cruise industry since it only rated cruise travel. As such, the industry believed that it was being held to a higher standard than other land-based tourism segments such as airlines, hotels and theme parks. The CDC finally ended the THN program for cruise travel in late March.
Impact of Cruise Health/Safety Protocols
“The decision by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to remove the Travel Health Notice for cruising is well-deserved recognition that the industry has been sailing millions of travelers for many months with highly effective protocols," said Julia Simpson, the WTTC's president and CEO. She added that those protocols "make cruising among the world’s safest forms of socializing and travel,"
Simpson noted that "the cruise industry has gained strong momentum in recent months, with many travelers anxious to again begin enjoying holidays with family and friends." She said that the CDC’s decision begins to help level the playing field between cruise and land-based vacation options.
In addition, she talked about the positive impact the elimination of the THN ratings will have on suppliers for the cruise industry across the globe. “This is also welcome news to the extensive network of suppliers, many of whom are small businesses that depend on cruise for their success," she stressed.
Simpson said the change by the CDC will also help provide "significant positive impacts for economies and employment in countries and regions around the world.”
WTTC represents the global travel and tourism private sector. For more than 30 decades, the organization has worked to raise awareness by governments and the public about the economic and social significance of the travel and tourism sector. Members of WTTC include 200 CEOs, chairs and presidents of the world’s leading travel and tourism companies; they hail from all regions of the globe and cover many industries.
For more information on the WTTC, visit www.wttc.org.
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