According to the official, this decision would promote hassle-free travel to tourist destinations and, at the same time, help to increase economic recovery to global level this summer.

“The problem is that the digital solutions for Covid were uncoordinated”, stressed Simpson, adding that “nations created their own rules to face the pandemic and, despite global leaders asking for harmonisation, we have numerous systems that impact the trust of the travellers with expensive tests and constant rule changes.”

According to the WTTC executive, to survive yet another pandemic, a traveller’s health status must be fully integrated into their digital travel documents, highlighting that a good example is the EU’s Covid Digital Certificate, now approved by 62 countries.

It was also highlighted the need for speed in the decision to implement the certificate, as the European Parliament approved the document on June 9, 2021 to implement it on July 1, 2021, that is, less than a month later.