No vaccine, no service: How vaccinations may affect travel plans in the future

Though no country has announced a mandatory vaccination requirement yet, it’s “very possible” that some will once vaccinations become freely available, said Sharona Hoffman, co-director of the Law-Medicine Center at Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

“I would guess that New Zealand might be a country that would require proof of vaccination for travel purposes,” she said, citing the country’s rigid travel ban and low Covid-19 infection rate.

Hoffman said countries will have to balance the need for tourist income with the inherent coronavirus risks that travelers bring with them.

“We know that large numbers of people plan to decline vaccination as of now, including in wealthy countries, such as the United States,” she said. “Are nations going to be willing to give up on tourism income from such individuals?”

A survey released last month by market research firm Ipsos with the World Economic Forum showed that 69% of Americans were willing to get vaccinated against Covid-19, a 5% increase from October. Residents of other countries look likely to embrace the vaccine in higher numbers, including China (80%), Mexico (77%), the U.K. (77%) and Australia (75%). Residents of Russia (43%) and France (40%) showed the lowest intention to get vaccinated in the survey.