COVID-19 seems to have hit global tourism the hardest. Rising number of COVID -19 cases and increasing infection rate has posed a major threat to tourism worldwide, with several summer holidays, vacations and trips cancelled and passengers forcibly quarantined for days after they come back home.
In the midst of it all, a new health passport app ‘CovidPass’ acts as a possible solution as it promises to restore confidence for the travel sector, which has been badly affected by the pandemic.
Global Tourism Statistics Post COVID-19
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization statistics, tourism worldwide descreased by 97% in April . As per the World Economic Forum, by July 15th, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide surged by a million in merely four days,
In addition, Viet Nam closed it’s main attraction of Da Nang to tourists after the first few cases were recorded in April. They also evacuated the city of 80,000 tourists. Moreover, after the infection rate spiked in the UK, the country’s biggest tour operator had to cancel all holidays to the country as the UK executed a 14-day isolation on visitors who had recently returned from Spain.
CovidPass- A Possible Solution
A possible solution to save the tourism industry post pandemic is the latest health passport mobile application, CovidPass. The app is the creation of Mustapha Mokass, one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders . The others involved in creating the app are also young global leaders, spanning across 5 continents.
How it Works
The application CovidPass uses the blockchain technology that helps store encrypted data collected from blood tests of every individual, helping users of the app prove that they have tested negative for COVID-19.
CovidPass will not be tracking the movement of the users, unlike many, non-mandatory contract tracing apps which have not been very successful, mainly because of privacy issues.
Considered as one of the most effective nations in launching voluntary apps, even Germany only has 16 million contact tracing app users out of 83 million citizens. It is stated by the experts that at least 50% of the population must be a contact tracing app user in order to fight an effective battle against the virus.
Governments encounter various testing regimes to authenticate travelers’ health. According to Mokass, This isn’t enough to reassure tourists or health authorities.
The creators of the app are hoping that CovidPass, which is launching in September, becomes a homogenous solution for airports, airlines, border agencies and eliminates quarantine for travellers who are healthy and tested negative for the virus. CovidPass will also help reopen hotels, theatres, cinemas, and sports venues to safely.
The app CovidPass adheres to obligatory carbon offsetting for every flight passenger- this preserves the ecological benefits of decreased air travel during the pandemic.
What are your reviews on this Health App? Is this the future of travelling now? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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