Travel Week in Review – February 18th, 2022

As governments across the world loosen coronavirus restrictions and shift their approach to accepting Covid-19 as a manageable part of everyday life, the travel industry is growing hopeful that this will be the year that travel comes roaring back. Travel agents and operators have reported a significant increase in bookings in recent weeks for the spring and summer seasons. The World Travel & Tourism Council projects that travel and tourism will reach pre-pandemic levels. Read More…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lowered its warning for cruise travel. In what is welcome news to the industry, the Level 4 Travel Health Notice, which advises no cruise travel, has been reduced to a Level 3, which advises against cruise travel for those who are not fully vaccinated or those who are at an increased risk of severe illness. The return to cruising has been largely successful; however, with the spread of the Omicron variant, the CDC raised its Health Travel Notice to a Level 4 for cruising. Read More…

The CDC announced it is not ready to lift the coronavirus testing requirements for arriving international travelers. As states begin to lift indoor mask mandates, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that the agency is optimistic COVID-19 cases will continue to decline but will maintain current protocols due to the virus’ uncertainty. Travel associations in the U.S. have continued to push for the removal of the testing requirement, which many believe is responsible for international tourism still being down. Read More…

With different COVID-19 variants circulating around the globe much of Europe has shifted their entry restrictions and many countries now only allow vaccinated travelers to enter, a growing number of countries now require the booster as well. When planning a trip, it is important to check CDC travel recommendations for each country, as they can frequently change. Here, we’ve outlined every country in Europe and its current reopening status — including entry requirements for foreign travelers. Read More…

Southwest Airlines is pulling out all of the stops to be every traveler’s favorite airline coming out of the pandemic. Sign up for one of their credit cards, spend $5,000 in the first 90 days, and receive 30k miles and the Southwest Companion Pass through February 2023! That means any time you fly on Southwest Airlines, you can bring a guest with you for FREE! This offer is valid until 3/14/2022, so don’t wait. Read More…