
How has COVID affected life where you want to go? RDU will make it easier to find out
A traveler arrives in Terminal 2 at Raleigh-Durham International Airport final fall.
MORRISVILLE
Raleigh-Durham International Airport is attempting to make it easier for Triangle air vacationers to know the way the coronavirus pandemic is affecting life at their locations.
RDU is signing on with a Spanish firm that pulls journey info from official sources all over the world and presents it on an interactive web site. Smartvel’s portal is used by airlines, hotels, travel agencies and other businesses, however RDU will be the primary airport to characteristic the corporate’s info on its web site, stated Dan Miller, the airport’s vp of promoting.
Starting March 1, RDU.com will include an interactive map of the world that will permit vacationers to find out about pandemic-related situations, guidelines and restrictions where they’re considering of going. It will reply questions on quarantines, testing necessities and whether or not eating places and different companies are open and beneath what situations.
By making it easier to find this info, RDU hopes to assist vacationers really feel extra comfy reserving a flight, Miller stated.
“We believe providing this information can encourage travelers to return to the airways,” he instructed members of the airport’s governing board Thursday.
The board agreed to pay about $7,300 for entry to Smartvel’s portal for one yr.
The transfer comes because the airline enterprise stays in a funk that started when the outbreak of COVID-19 final spring practically introduced air journey to a halt. Led by leisure vacationers, enterprise started to decide up final summer time, however the variety of passengers passing by RDU was nonetheless down 70% in January.