US decision to scrap pre-departure Covid test for air passengers to prompt ‘significant increase’ in bookings

A decision by the US government to scrap pre-departure Covid-19 testing for international air passenger is expected to prompt a “significant increase” in holiday bookings from Ireland.

After heavy lobbying from airlines and the travel industry, the Biden administration is to announce that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will no longer require testing for those travelling to the US from midnight on Sunday.

Ray Scully, managing director of American Holidays in Dublin, said it would see the final barrier to travel removed and would encourage more bookings.

Although Ireland-US travel has returned to between 85 and 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels since the country reopened last November, some people remained apprehensive.

“There was still that nervousness for people; you have booked time off work and made your plans for a holiday and then there is the possibility that the day before [you leave], when you take your antigen test and test positive, it affects your ability to travel,” he said.

“That has been taken away by this announcement. This was the last kind of barrier.”

The CDC is due to reassess the decision in 90 days, according to an official. The announcement comes as the busy summer travel season is kicking off and carriers were already bracing for record demand.

Irish travellers had been postponing trips to the US since the pandemic hit. With pent up demand, Mr Scully said while New York and Florida continue to be among the preferred destinations, many are eager for “big trips” taking in multiple places in various parts of the country.

Pat Dawson, chief executive of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA), said the removal of the testing was also welcome from an expense and convenience point of view.

“It’s going to encourage people more and more to book, [for] people who were hesitant to book for whatever reason,” he said. “It will grow more traffic.”

Siobhan McManamy, acting chief executive of Tourism Ireland, also said the decision meant the last remaining barrier to fully opening the country for international travel had now been lifted.

“The US market is extremely important for tourism to the island of Ireland; before the pandemic, in 2019, we welcomed 1.7 million American visitors, whose visits delivered revenue of €1.6 billion for the economy,” she said.

“Our message is that Ireland is open for business again and we cannot wait to welcome back visitors from the United States.”

It will be welcomed by American travellers too - airlines have said many are not travelling internationally because of concerns they will test positive and be stranded abroad.

Since December, the CDC has required travellers to test negative within one day before flights to the United States but does not require testing for land border crossings.

Many countries in Europe and elsewhere have already dropped testing requirements.

The CDC is still requiring most non-US citizens to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel to the United States.

American Airlines chief executive Robert Isom said last week at a conference that the testing requirements were “nonsensical” and were “depressing” leisure and business travel.

Many lawmakers had pressed the Biden administration to lift the testing rules, reaching out to senior White House officials to make the case.

- Additional reporting Reuters

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