Lifting of US travel ban will boost retail sales

Starting this Monday, the Biden administration will allow foreign tourists to enter the United States . In early 2020, due to the spread of the global epidemic , the US government restricted the entry of tourists from more than 30 countries, including the United Kingdom and Brazil .

Now, tourists must be vaccinated within three days before departure and have a negative nucleic acid test result. Tourists under the age of 18 and tourists from 50 countries with insufficient vaccine supply are exempted.

This is a long-awaited policy relaxation for American retailers . In addition to buying tourist souvenirs , tourists will also buy luxury handbags, high-end cosmetics , top-tier liquor and other goods , which will bring in billions of dollars in sales .

According to data from the International Trade Administration , global tourists drove more than $43.4 billion in shopping in the United States in 2019 , accounting for 27% of total shopping driven by the travel and tourism industry.

However, experts said it will take some time for tourists to reach pre-pandemic consumption levels , as there are still very few international flights worldwide and many countries have strict restrictions on outbound travel.

Despite this , Matt Shay, CEO of the National Retail Federation , said that after the ban is lifted , Americans will be more optimistic , and they will book more travel and dine out , and the retail industry will be revitalized again with the arrival of international tourists .

It is reported that international tourists will be an important driving force for the economic recovery of New York City . According to the survey data of the U.S. Department of Commerce in 2018 , 88% of international tourists come to New York for shopping, compared with less than 30% of tourists from other parts of the United States .

In addition, relevant organizations predict that about 2.8 million international tourists will come to New York this year , compared with 13.5 million in 2019. The number of international tourists is expected to triple to 8.5 million next year , and the US tourism industry is expected to return to pre - epidemic levels by 2024 .

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