Royal Caribbean Drops Ban on Chinese Passport Holders

Royal Caribbean has reneged ono a controversial ban on people with Chinese, Kong Kong or Macau passports

Royal Caribbean has reneged ono a controversial ban on people with Chinese, Kong Kong or Macau passports. The ban was enforced last week as a measure for isolating the Coronavirus outbreak.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean “As a result, we added a similar policy to avoid disruption to impacted guests’ travels. Now, governmental policies have been clarified, so we have changed this policy,” it said today.

“We’re happy to share that effective immediately, passport holders from China, Hong Kong and Macau will be able to sail with us.”

Norwegian Cruise Line have made the decision to continue with the ban which blankets all passport holding citizens regardless of their country of residence or how recently they have visited China.

Bans of this nature go against recommendations by the World Health Organisation.

In response to the ban, the World Travel and Tourism Council have warned against actions which could encourage stigma or discrimination against Chinese and Asian tourists.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President and CEO, said: “We must not stigmatise. The coronavirus will not be solved by singling out individuals or groups from any country, such as China or those in other parts of Asia.

“While some of this misguided action may be well-meaning and it is clearly important the travel and tourism sector plays its part to contain the spread of the coronavirus, this will not be achieved by alienating the world’s biggest tourist group.

“China has become a key global player and its tourism market has experienced massive growth in recent years. Chinese tourists, travelling both individually and within groups account for 16% of the world’s international travel spending. More widely, Asia has experienced nearly 7% booming average annual growth in the sector over the last decade.

“There is no doubt that travel and tourism to and from China brings huge cultural and economic benefits to the world. At WTTC we believe the sector is a force for good and unites people no matter where they are from.”

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