Fourteen CEOs of some of America’s most recognizable travel-related companies and hotel brands are calling for the White House and Congress to fund more and better COVID-19 testing, saying it will be a key component in pursuing an economic recovery, including a recovery in tourism.
In a letter signed by Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association, the heads of the Hyatt, Intercontinental, Wyndham, Marriott, Lowes, Choice, Host and Hilton hotel chains, as well as by CEOs of Enterprise Holdings and the Sabre booking agency, the executives said, “Testing enables reopening. Testing enables rehiring. Testing enables recovery.”
The industry leaders added that travel has already lost more than half of the 15.8 million jobs in the industry, adding the collapse in travel-related spending is projected to cost the U.S. economy $1.2 trillion by the end of 2020.
“The events of recent weeks have made very clear one indispensable component of efforts to spur a national recovery from the health and economic crises: broadening the availability of efficient, effective, 24-to-48-hour COVID-19 testing,” the letter also said. “As a start, we urge the swift consideration and passage of the TEST Act, bipartisan Senate legislation that would enhance the resources and collaboration tools the federal government devotes to COVID-19 testing.”
