Would you get a coronavirus vaccine just to visit Paris?
Or let’s put the question another way: Would you be more likely to stay at a resort that required all staff and guests to get vaccinated?
We could even take this issue from a third angle: Is it fair for governments or businesses (such as a hotel, theme park, or airline) to demand proof of vaccination (or recovery from COVID-19) as part of the price of admission?
Vaccination passports, in one way or another, are going to become a part of life for some people.
Some Canadian officials are proposing that nobody be allowed to cross the border without proof of vaccination. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a little resistant to that proposal, in part because of the racial politics: White Americans are far more likely to be vaccinated than non-white Americans.
And this “equity” issue is why vaccine passports will probably never become policy on the governmental level or at many big businesses.
Still, if you want to stay at a resort in Cancun, Mexico, or visit the Holy Land, you may be asked for proof of vaccination. To some travelers, that’s a hassle. It means no traveling this spring for the millions who would like a vaccine but aren’t in a priority group. It means scheduling an appointment, making sure you have the paperwork, worrying that some authority somewhere will demand some signature you never got, et cetera.
But for others, a vaccine requirement offers peace of mind. About half of all travelers in a recent poll said they would be more likely to travel to a place that required vaccination.
Got to keep out the unclean people, you know?
Given the demographics of early vaccine recipients, widespread demand for proof of vaccination could make travel interesting. Would resorts see their average age climb to 75? If someone has a medical episode on a vaccinated-only flight, half of the flight’s passengers would likely be doctors or nurses. And here’s an interesting consideration for any vaccinated bachelors: Women are an overwhelming majority of those vaccinated already, so any destination requiring a vaccine would have good numbers.
