The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) called on governments
to reopen city-to-city air corridors between global financial centers to help
restart business travel.
Two such corridors could be London-Frankfurt and New York-London,
WTTC said.
“The establishment of air corridors between financial
centers where infection levels are low, such as between London and New York,
would provide a vital boost to business travel and aid the economic recovery,”
said WTTC CEO Gloria Guevara.
WTTC said that restoring business travel, especially via
transatlantic flights, is key to kickstarting the economic recovery. WTTC
research shows that business travelers account for one of every three U.S.
dollars spent in New York and one of every four British pounds spent in London.
WTTC is opposed to the enforcement of countrywide border
closings when spikes in coronavirus cases are local or regional.
“Enforcing countrywide restrictions is a blunt instrument
which benefits no one,” Guevara said. “Taking a more carefully calibrated
approach to strategically combating coronavirus spikes with local measures
rather than countrywide closures will contain Covid-19 and preserve a country’s
attempt to kick-start their economy by continuing to attract travelers to
unaffected areas.”