The travel industry is projected to lose $2 trillion in revenue. As Covid-19 cases increase through America (the country tops 4.6 million cases, and a whopping 58,194 new cases as of August 2), other countries are banning American tourists until our pandemic improves. As of now, only 15 countries will allow American tourists to enter without a 14-day quarantine, but there’s one thing all international borders want from U.S. travelers: a negative Covid-19 test. Proof of negative is now a travel document that’s more important than a U.S. passport.
In our list of 15 countries allowing American tourists, 13 of them require all U.S. tourists to have proof of a negative Covid-19 test to enter. A handful of countries not on the list (because they do require a 14-day quarantine, like Ireland) still require the negative test result.
Some countries require that arriving U.S. passengers have 2 negative test results (one at least five days before the trip, and one on arrival), proving that Covid-19 negative test results are the travel document becoming more important than a U.S. passport.
It’s interesting to note that the negative Covid-19 test is what determines whether you get in the country or not. If you do not have proof of negative test, you can be turned away from the border, held at the airport for testing or even quarantined until you get test results from an on-site test. The negative Covid-19 test is the travel document that will let you have a safe and enjoyable vacation.
The importance of a negative test result comes at a time when the U.S. passport has lost its value. Seeing that Americans cannot travel to more than 90 percent of the world in the distant future, the U.S. passport is now essentially worthless, as a Medium writer pointed out last month. The irony is strong. American passports were the ticket to get Americans into nearly every country in the world. Now, the American passport is preventing us from going into every country in the world.
While the coronavirus is wreaking havoc and causing a global pandemic, many people are trying to look at positive outcomes in travel — and there are many starting to unfold.
Travel is on the brink of change, and there’s going to be some tough love for the next few years. Hopefully, this can come as a lesson where travelers will stop taking vacations for granted, see the beauty of travel for what it is and respond better to the planet.
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Jimmy Im has traveled to 113 countries, stayed in over 600 hotels and has flown a million airmiles. He lives in New York City.