Collinson, Singapore Airlines, and Mandarin Oriental Consider Travel’s Safe, Long-Term Return in Asia-Pacific

Skift Take: The vaccine rollout is fueling optimism among Asia-Pacific’s travelers and the region’s travel industry. But until inoculations are widespread and the right systems for recognizing official health documents are in place globally, extra layers of protection — such as testing — remain key to traveler health and safety.

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The Top-Down Diversity Push That U.S. Tourism Desperately Needs Is Here

Monkey Business  / Adobe

Discussions on the lack of diversity in U.S. travel are finally getting unstuck with major actions from the industry’s destination leaders and trade groups, including a new tourism diversity-focused organization. Monkey Business / Adobe

Skift Take: The first full-time, diversity-focused organization for U.S. travel launched this week as destination marketers, trade groups and publicists are also collaborating on solutions to equity, diversity and inclusion barriers in tourism. It’s long and shamefully overdue — but promising, since change begins from the C-suites down.

— Lebawit Lily Girma

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Digital Health Passports Gain Traction as Countries Take Cues From Airlines

Caroline Voelker  / Unsplash

Airport technology provider SITA has successful trialled a new system with the Australian government that help airlines, airports and passengers share information on health tests or vaccinations. Caroline Voelker / Unsplash

Skift Take: It’s reassuring to see several destinations, including Australia with its hard-line stance on border restrictions, warm to the idea of digital health passports.

— Matthew Parsons

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Phuket’s Tourism Businesses Plan Private Vaccination Drive in Hopes of Reopening Thai Resort This Fall

Tourism Authority of Thailand

Thailand’s resort island of Phuket is at one of its lowest economic points in recent history due to global travel restrictions. Tourism Authority of Thailand

Skift Take: The resort island of Phuket is looking to vaccinate locals as it scrambles to welcome tourists after facing one of its lowest economic points in history. Worthy effort, but it’s still too soon to see if it’s enough to lure back travelers.

— Reem Abdellatif

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Airlines Want All International Travelers Tested Before Flying to the U.S.

Courtesy of Delta Air Lines  / Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines is trialling mandatory Covid-19 testing in place of quarantines on select flights to Amsterdam and Rome. Courtesy of Delta Air Lines / Delta Air Lines

Skift Take: U.S. airlines support a CDC recommendation to mandate negative Covid-19 tests for all arriving international travelers. It’s a bet many think will allow the industry to restart grounded flights and boost their moribund businesses.

— Edward Russell

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