Another trade group asks the CDC to lift no-sail order on cruise ships

By Michael McGrady, Maritime Direct Americas & Pacific Correspondent

WASHINGTON — The US Travel Association, a trade group representing the overall travel industry, has called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and President Joe Biden’s administration to lift the no-sail order restricting the cruise industry.

The association says that it represents an interdisciplinary industry that generated $1.5 trillion in economic output and support more than 11 million jobs.

While the association noted that this was a decline from pre-pandemic economic figures, the industry is still a crucial component to the travel sector’s lifeblood across the United States and other regions in North and South America, notes USA TODAY.

Roger Dow, the chief executive officer and president of the US Travel Association, highlighted the industry’s concerns in a statement.

“The standard of evidence should be exceptionally high for rules that effectively single out certain industries as other parts of the economy are allowed to reopen,” Dow said. “Restrictions have taken a disproportionately heavy toll on the travel industry and our millions of workers, and the rule preventing cruise operations is uniquely specific.”

Dow adds: “It is economically imperative to find the pathways to reopening, and the evidence is clear that a layered approach to health and safety allows the safe resumption of travel.”

The CDC issued the conditional sail order, also known as the no-sail order, in late October of 2020. However, the industry presses the claim that the guidance from the CDC is outdated.

“We join the calls to identify the way toward lifting the Conditional Sail Order and allowing the phased resumption of cruise operations as quickly as possible,” Dow said.