WTN Call for a OECD Compensation fund for the Southern African Travel & Tourism Industry

The World Tourism Network proposed:

• Given that the Omicron strain of COVID-19 was identified by top research scientists in South Africa, and the country immediately notified the World Health Organization and the Global Health Council, using universally agreed-upon international procedures, it’s important to not give the impression that a country doing what is expected of them under an international agreement, means they should be labeled negatively as a country, and to not punish that country with isolation; and
• Given that WHO officially stated that Travel Bans will not help to stop the spread of the virus; and
• Given that despite this advice, the numerous OECD governments have unilaterally imposed such travel bans on the Southern African states.
• Given that this has had a continuing measurable direct financial impact on the Travel & Tourism sector of these Southern African states and hence their socio-economic and development conditions,

The World Tourism Network calls on the responsible OECD states to establish an International Fund to compensate the Travel & Tourism sector of these African states, as verified by the African Development Bank, and to maintain such a fund at requisite levels until such bans are eliminated.