The travel industry is responding to the latest pandemic-related executive orders issued by the White House, including President Joe Biden's mask mandate that will require face-coverings to be worn in national parks and on airplanes as well as a controversial new requirement that U.S.-bound international travelers self-quarantine upon arrival.

The U.S. Travel Association commended Biden for making masks a requirement and lifting the travel ban from certain Muslim-majority countries but appears hesitant about new restrictions on inbound travel.

"We welcome the president’s focus on policies that will encourage safe travel and help restore the millions of U.S. travel jobs that were lost last year," U.S. Travel President and CEO Roger Dow said in a statement on Friday. "The CDC’s inbound testing requirement is the key to reopening international travel and it adds another important layer of safety. If the testing requirement is going to work on a global scale, it has to be flexible and reflect where testing resources are available and where they’re not. The executive order would allow for flexibility if it’s needed."

"We also strongly support the president’s mask mandate for interstate travel, which is in line with the industry’s health and safety guidance and consistent with what countless travel businesses are already doing to protect travelers and workers," he added. "In particular, the repeal of the travel ban from certain Muslim-majority countries is the right move. The CDC testing requirement for international travelers should also pave the way to ease other travel restrictions, including those on the U.K., the E.U., and Brazil in the near term."

However, U.S. Travel raised concerns over the administration's quarantine requirement, calling it "unnecessary."

"The executive order on travel also leaves many important questions unanswered. We believe a mandatory quarantine requirement for international travelers could be extremely difficult to enforce—and unnecessary in light of required testing and the many other protections now in place. In the domestic environment, where there aren’t defined ports of entry for travelers, mandatory testing and other requirements are also impractical and could divert scarce public health resources away from other priorities," said Dow. “We look forward to working with the Biden administration to develop realistic and effective risk-based policies, and to educate travelers on additional recommendations, to help continue the safe reopening of travel.”

Ryan Doncsecz of Bethlehem, Pennyslvania-based VIP Vacations Inc believes that "the new CDC ‘guidelines’ will be the ‘straw that breaks the camel’s back’ for so many small business owners across our country" and urges those in the travel industry to make their voices heard to their local representatives and senators.

Airlines for America (A4A)—which includes members Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, among others—mirrored the travel industry as a whole in its response, applauding Biden's mask mandate but expressing concern over often hard-to-enforce quarantine requirements.

"Airlines for America (A4A) welcomes President Biden's dedication to supporting the U.S. airline industry and appreciate his leadership on policies that promote restoring travel in a way that prioritizes the safety and wellbeing of all passengers and employees," said A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio in a statement issued Friday. "We appreciate the Biden Administration’s decision to implement a federal face-covering mandate for all domestic modes of public transportation, including airports and commercial aircraft. The safety and wellbeing of passengers and employees are always the top priority of U.S. airlines. We recognize that face coverings are a critical measure in our multi-layered approach to protecting the traveling public, which is why U.S. airlines have been vigorously enforcing face-covering requirements since April 2020. We welcome the federal mandate as an additional layer of support, which will strengthen our flight crews’ ability to enforce face-covering requirements for the duration of the pandemic."

"U.S. airlines have been strong advocates for a national testing standard set by the federal government and appreciate that the executive order moves our country forward on a framework for testing," Calio added. "We remain hopeful that this announcement will be followed by a recognition that testing can be used to safely resume travel without quarantines, which are difficult to enforce and often prove ineffective. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Administration to implement programs and policies that can be relied upon to defeat this virus, restore economic growth and enable the safe and responsible lifting of travel restrictions and quarantines."