One of the things we really missed during the pandemic was travel. As we were all encouraged to stay home as much as possible in the early days of lockdowns, we missed out on seeing family and friends, going on vacation and traveling oversees.

It was probably for the best to stick close to home. Travel restrictions were set in place in order to limit the spread of Covid-19, but there comes a point when enough is enough. We’re ready to travel again.

The travel industry was hurt by the pandemic, obviously. The demand for car rental, air travel, and hotel accommodations was greatly decreased. Many only traveled if it was a true necessity. Instead, Zoom became the way to communicate with those far away.

The U.S. closed it’s borders to most international travelers, but the boarders have since reopened. Despite the fact that foreign travelers are technically allowed to visit the U.S., there are still extra hoops to jump through, and the travel industry has felt for a long time that one of those hoops is unnecessary.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom met with Washington D.C. politicians last week about the current requirement for international travelers to take a Covid test before traveling to the U.S. He called this policy “nonsensical.”

Roger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association, agrees with Isom, and is glad that the U.S. has finally decided to drop this policy. He explained in a statement, “The Biden administration is to be commended for this action, which will welcome back visitors from around the world and accelerate the recovery of the U.S. travel industry. International inbound travel is vitally important to businesses and workers across the country who have struggled to regain losses from this valuable sector.”

Most non-U.S. citizen travelers entering the U.S. via air will still be required to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination, but the Covid test requirement is set to end at 12:01am Sunday morning.

Do you think it’s a wise idea to drop the Covid testing requirement for international travelers entering the U.S.? Are you more likely to travel internationally if you don’t have to take a Covid test before returning to the U.S.?