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What do the new CDC travel guidelines mean for Louisville?

Rebecca Matheny, Executive Director of the Louisville Downtown Partnership, is optimistic the new guidelines will bring people to the city.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On Friday, the CDC announced new travel guidelines for vaccinated travelers. It is good news for those who have been itching to travel. 

If you are fully vaccinated, the CDC now says it is ok for you to travel. According to newly released guidelines, the CDC says fully vaccinated people do not need to get tested before or after traveling domestically. Travelers who are fully vaccinated will not need to quarantine after travel. 

But what does this mean for Louisville? Rebecca Matheny, Executive Director of the Louisville Downtown Partnership, is optimistic the new guidelines will bring people to the city. 

"I absolutely think it will increase travel to Louisville," she said. 

Matheny believes the first group to travel will be the older population, or those who have been in groups to be vaccinated first. She said regional travel will increase before national. 

Business and convention travel is one aspect of Louisville tourism that will take longer to return. She said, " The soonest quarter four, but in all likelihood, next year is what we are hearing nationally."

Natalie Chaudoin, Director of Public Relations for Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport says SDF is seeing trends above the national average. 

 "We are seeing 65-70% of the travel numbers that we were at in March of 2019," she said, "We are aggressively trending towards pre-covid travel numbers." 

Chaudoin said the desire to travel has been building over time for people, and the demand is high. She said last week SDF saw their highest numbers since March 2020. 

If you plan on traveling abroad, the CDC says fully vaccinated people do not need to be tested beforehand unless it is required by another county. Upon return to the US, fully vaccinated individuals will not need to quarantine. 

The travel recommendations issued today don't alter the CDC guidelines for those unvaccinated. 

►Contact reporter Elle Smith at esmith@whas11.com or on her social media outlets: Facebook or Twitter.

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