If normalcy is to return to international travel, there must be new mechanisms in place to insure cooperation and safety. There may be a solution soon based on a project involving the travel industry, nonprofits, and government agencies. The international pilot project, supported by American Express Global Business Travel, United, Cathay, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and The Rockefeller Foundation, and more, prepares to launch this month.
The trial will involve a test run of a digital health passport called CommonPass, and a framework that sets standards for lab results and vaccination records, as well as a system that allows different countries to set their own health criteria for entry. The purpose is to enable safer airline and cross-border travel by giving travelers and governments confidence in each traveler’s verified Covid-19 status.
The project is being run by the Commons Project Foundation, a Swiss-based non-profit public trust, and the World Economic Forum. The Commons Project was established with support from The Rockefeller Foundation .