Epidemiological passport system requirements: a roadmap for international travel and tourism recovery

Abstract

Global tourism demand is vulnerable to pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which made international travel difficult if not impossible. To improve the robustness of global tourism in the advent of pandemics, this article explores an epidemiological passport system (EPS), which is reported on in this article. To attain different perspectives regarding the use of EPS, this research used a qualitative method approach. It carried out 32 detailed interviews with executive leaders in organizations of different sectors to obtain their views about the main requirements for an EPS. An international EPS could provide traceability to better share important information about such aspects of COVID-19 as testing, contact tracing and vaccination. This research identified the main requirements for a new system that will help with international health and border control organizations’ collaboration. The findings of this research study hold significant practical implications for the development and implementation of EPS. This system is designed to address the multifaceted challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly concerning testing and vaccination requirements imposed by various governments. The practical contributions of this research are pivotal in ensuring seamless international travel while maintaining health security and regulatory compliance.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• tourism sector
• recovery
• epidemiological passport system
• Pier Luigi Sacco, IULM University, Italy
• Systems & Computer Architecture Design