Bartlett urges world leaders not to require vaccination proof for travel

 

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is cautioning global leaders against requiring proof of vaccination for travel at this time.

 

Mr. Bartlett says he recognises that there is a need for standardisation and a measurement for the safety of destinations.

 

However, he argues that with the unequal access and distribution of vaccines threatening the inoculation programmes of small and developing states, the posture would be unfair. 

 

"The 10 biggest countries have already cornered more than 80 per cent of the vaccines that's available. The last report we had out of Bloomberg suggested that less than a hundred countries have already had vaccinations. So what it means is that if we use that as a standard now immediately for travel, it will definitely discriminate against a number of particularly smaller countries where they have a higher level of dependence on tourism and travel for their economic development," he contended.  

 

Mr. Bartlett said he has joined those lobbying for global leaders to delay the introduction of so called COVID-19 vaccination passports and instead continue using testing to screen travellers.

 

He said while he supports the initiative in the long run, "the timing is very important." 

 

He pointed out that for normality to return about "75 to 80 per cent" of the global population will need to be vaccinated and that process is expected at current vaccination levels to take seven to eight years. 

 

 

 

The tourism minister, who was speaking Wednesday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106, said the sector is showing signs of recovery.