The United States has dropped all pre-flight COVID testing in a move that’s been warmly welcomed by leading airlines and associations alike.

The move, which came in to effect on June 12, is expected to see travel to the United States continue to soar as the global tourism rebound continues with epic pace.

“We commend the administration’s decision to remove the international pre-departure testing requirement for inbound travelers to the U.S. In light of medical advancements and improved public health metrics, removing this pandemic-era policy is not only welcome news to travelers who are ready to get back out and see the world, but will aid in the overall economic recovery of the U.S,” a spokesperson for Delta Air Lines said.

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO, Roger Dow, said the move by the Biden Administration “marks another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States”.

“The Biden administration is to be commended for this action, which will welcome back visitors from around the world and accelerate the recovery of the U.S. travel industry,” he said.

“International inbound travel is vitally important to businesses and workers across the country who have struggled to regain losses from this valuable sector.

“More than half of international travelers in a recent survey pointed to the pre-departure testing requirement as a major deterrent for inbound travel to the U.S.

“Prior to the pandemic, travel was one of our nation’s largest industry exports. The lifting of this requirement will enable the industry to lead the way toward a broader U.S. economic and jobs recovery.

“A new analysis found that repealing the pre-departure testing requirement could bring an additional 5.4 million visitors to the U.S. and an additional $9 billion in travel spending through the remainder of 2022.

“U.S. Travel and our partners advocated tirelessly for months to ensure this requirement would be lifted, pointing to the monumental scientific advancements that have made it possible for us to reach this point.

“We thank President Biden, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Dr. Ashish Jha and others in the administration for recognizing the immense economic power of travel and its ability to reconnect the U.S. with the global community,” he said.