Different rules across nations hurting business travel - Today's Special

During his trip to the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that international travel should be made easier through mutual recognition of vaccine certificates. Well, it was apparently a message for countries that have different yardsticks for different countries when it comes to vaccine certificate acceptance. 

Now, let's put this in context.

After India warned of reciprocal measures, the United Kingdom finally recognised Covishield. However, the travails of Indians travelling to the UK aren’t over. 

The country, which appears to have doubts over vaccine certification in India, has not removed the home isolation requirement for vaccinated Indians and has sought details regarding the working of the CoWin app. So, it means that Indians would have to self-isolate for 10 days upon arrival in the UK, even if they are fully vaccinated with Covishield.

That sounds unfair, doesn’t it? A large chunk of vaccine doses that have been administered in the UK so far were exported from India by Serum Institute. And, shouldn't the focus at this point be on a coordinated approach among governments to revive global travel and tourism, a sector that has suffered the most due to the pandemic?

How much money have airlines lost?

According to an International Air Transport Association report, airlines collectively lost $6.9 billion in the April-May period of 2021, compared with $14.4 billion in the first quarter of the year. IATA earlier this year forecast a $48-billion loss for member airlines in 2021.

Just think about someone planning to visit the UK for business or leisure. With this 10-day quarantine rule, not many would be in a position to take the cost burden.

And also the broader implication if countries faced with such restrictions started reciprocating by imposing similar curbs. Won't that lead to a huge impact on global trade, commerce and travel, and also put roadblocks in the global economic recovery?

Meanwhile, India is looking for solutions by engaging bilaterally with countries for a mechanism to mutually recognise each other's vaccine certificates. In an oped column for a business daily, National Health Authority Chairman and head of the Cowin app, R S Sharma, wrote that they are planning to release an international version of the vaccination certificate for travel purposes. Let’s look at the key takeaways from his column to get a sense of India's future plans for addressing the trust deficit.

R S Sharma on vaccination certificate: He wrote that people could soon log on to the CoWIN portal and apply for International Vaccination Travel Certificate, or IVTC. These certificates would soon be available for download in various internationally accepted formats. There will also be a facility for beneficiaries to link their passport to IVTC using the CoWIN app.

Here's what economic analyst Pranjal Sharma said on these steps for building trust around vaccination certificates:

So, if we want the world to prosper as one, and not as individual nations, as Pranjal suggests, there needs to be uniformity in travel rules across the world.