G7 Transport, Health Ministers Agree to Plan for Safe Tourism Reopening

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps

Reopening tourism safely and sustainably topped the agenda of a recent G7 transport and health ministers meeting in the UK as part of efforts to get economies rolling in the aftermath of Covid-19.

In this direction, the health and transport ministers from the world’s major economies agreed on seven key principles, including coordinating national travel strategies, aimed at reigniting international travel by land, sea and air and leading to economic recovery.

According to a statement issued by the UK Department for Transport, the ministers pledged their “desire to build back better from Covid-19” and reaffirmed their commitment to work together to prevent and mitigate risks from the current crisis as well as from future health risks, to build resilience within the transportation sector, and to safeguard international travel for the future.

More specifically, the meeting of ministers concluded on the following:

– endorsing and promoting a set of seven high-level principles (see below) that will serve as a guide for all national governments for the recovery of international travel

– sharing information and lessons learned between transport and health ministries, identifying common challenges, sharing solutions, and encouraging best practice

– creating momentum in multilateral fora, such as the upcoming International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) high-level conference on Covid-19, by promoting these shared principles and supporting global approaches to facilitating international travel.

The seven principles are:

• future-proofing the transportation sector against future health threats
• ensuring the fair treatment and safety of essential transport personnel
• respecting privacy and data protection in implementing vaccination certification solutions
• reaffirming the pre-eminence of scientific evidence in planning international travel policy
• ensuring fairness and equity in respective national responses
• maintaining regular international and multilateral engagement
• delivering a safe, sustainable, and resilient recovery.

Photo source: European Parliament

“Under the UK’s presidency of the G7, we are determined to get people traveling abroad as freely and safely as possible and the progress made today between all G7 nations is testament to this vision,” said UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

“By sharing information, working together on common standards and solutions for vaccine certification, and keeping a focus on a sustainable recovery for our travel sector, we will build a resilient and long-lasting recovery now and for generations to come,” he added.