International travel searches soar after US announces reopening

Websites like Kayak and Expedia saw a search of searches for international travel to the US following a policy change announcement. Photo / Unsplash

Just one day after the White House announced Covid-19 travel restrictions would lift, searches related to international travel to the United States saw an immediate boost.

On Friday the White House announced plans to lift Covid-19 travel restrictions on countries, including the UK, EU and China, allowing vaccinated visitors to enter the country for work or leisure.

According to the data, people didn't wait long before researching that trip to the US.

Travel website Kayak told Reuters they saw searches related to international travel to the US spike 48 per cent on Saturday compared to the week previous.

They weren't the only platform to experience a surge in demand.

Similarly, Expedia said they saw a 28 per cent increase in UK travellers and 24 per cent increase in French travellers searching for hotels in America compared to previous weeks.

This follows the news from President Joe Biden that fully vaccinated travellers could visit the US from November 8.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also said on Friday international visitors who had mixed doses of vaccines would also be granted entry.

According to Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian, the carrier is also seeing a lift in international interest as a result of the upcoming policy changes.

A similar surge took place following the Biden administration's initial announcement on September 20 about resuming travel.

Following this announcement, British Airways reported a 700 per cent increase in searches for trips to Los Angeles, and Skyscanner experienced 54 per cent more website visits from people researching the US.

As a 'safe' country, the announcement means New Zealanders will face more restrictions than before, requiring proof of vaccination in order to enter the US.