WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 Reuters - Travel website Kayak said that in the past week searches related to international travel to the United States has fallen 48% on Monday from the same day to one week earlier.
This followed the White House's announcement on Friday that it would lift COVID - 19 travel restrictions for fully vaccinated international visitors starting Nov. 8.
Kayak is run by Booking Holdings Inc Separately, Expedia said on Monday that there was a 28% increase in French travelers and a 24% increase of UK travelers searching for hotels in the United States, comparing Oct. 8-10 to Oct. 15 - 17.
Delta Air Lines chief executive Ed Bastian said last week before the White House's announcement that the airline saw improving trends internationally, spurred on the decision to lift restrictions, in September.
With this important change, many families are going to have the first holiday together for several months in near two years, Bastian said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC reported late Friday that foreign nationals who had received mixed doses of vaccines would be eligible to travel to the United States, but additional questions remain to be answered, including the government's policies on exemptions, including for children.