PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As of Monday, the United State's COVID-19 pandemic ban on international travel has been lifted, and many people from 33 countries around the world can visit the U.S. for the first time in nearly 20 months.
Family, friends and others with business here in the States, separated by the seas and a global health crisis, can now reunite on U.S. soil. That will mean longer lines and fuller flights, and business picking up at the international terminal at Philadelphia International Airport, especially from Europe.
This has been a day that Gregg Caren, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, has been waiting for. He actually called KYW Newsradio from PHL before boarding a flight to Las Vegas to promote the city of Philadelphia.
A month ago, at a similar event, he says, he got great news.
"What we heard at that show was the pent-up demand for people to come here from the U.K., which is our No. 1 feeder market, and Germany, Italy and France," Caren said. "And it was incredible to see."
Data from travel analytics firm Cirium shows that airlines are increasing flights between the U.K. and the U.S. by 21% this month over last month.
The hope is to make up for lost time and money. Pre-pandemic, in 2019, Caren says the city had 1.5 million hotel nights booked from overseas travelers, which led to an economic impact of nearly $1 billion.
What you need to know
For those travelers coming into the U.S., the State Department says adults will need to show proof of vaccination before boarding their flights. Any of the World Health Organization approved vaccines are acceptable. This includes the AstraZeneca vaccine being used in Europe and Canada.
And those same vaccinated adults, along with kids as young as 3, need to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of their flight.
Related
Restrictions are also lifted for people traveling by land from Canada and Mexico, and people are no longer limited to what is considered to be essential travel anymore.
Adults crossing the borders to visit the U.S. also need to show proof of vaccination, but a negative test result is not needed.
The new rules do not apply to U.S. citizens, nationals, lawful permanent residents or immigrants.