How Europe Is Opening Up For Safe Summer Travel

Europeans have been promised safe, relaxing summer travels ahead, as borders reopen for tourism. The EU has unveiled a roadmap for a tourism comeback across the continent after months of lockdowns.

This as Europe’s reinstated land border controls already start to tumble. Strict hygiene and safety precautions for travelers are a key part of the plan to fully reopen borders ahead of summer tourism. While Europe’s external border closure and travel ban on foreigners remains in place until at least mid-June, Europeans at least can look forward to increasing travel freedom over coming weeks.

The guidelines aim to help member states as they start to ease and lift border closures in the usually passport-free Schengen zone, with a view to summer travel. As expected, the EU is letting individual countries go their own way on gradually lifting travel bans on fellow Europeans. Partly by creating “travel bubbles” with neighbors in which people can holiday safely.

This was the basis for the decision today between Austria and Germany to reopen their common border in a month. Many others will soon do the same as summer approaches, to ensure they can welcome tourists to holiday spots.

“It’s not a normal holiday we all long for, but it may be possible to have quite a nice holiday anway,” says European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, “also for the many many people working in hospitality to have a job over summer.”

Cross-border travel is key to tourism, she said, and “freedom of movement is one of the fundamentals of Europe,” but it’s up to each country to decide on the timetable for reopening borders. “I think we will see things develop over weeks and months and must respect things are different in each member state … we give general guidance.”

Here are some key take-home points of the roadmap:

Non-Essential Travel Comeback in Two Phases

Travel restrictions and border controls should be gradually lifted throughout the EU starting between regions: this is phase 1. Phase 2 marks a total return of travel freedom in Europe. At this point “All coronavirus related restrictions and controls at the internal borders should be lifted, while keeping the necessary health measures in place,” urges the EU. In the end, each country is entirely free to decide on the timing for this, and all the other details.

Tourism Corridors:

The EU has backed the desire between European neighbors to create “tourism corridors” to allow people to travel freely between countries where the COVID-19 containment is similar. Germany, Austria and Switzerland are already doing that.

The travel clusters between countries should be based on guidance from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on the COVID-19 situation. Border Reopening must be flexible, with the possibility of bolstering travel restrictions if the corona situation worsens.

Baltic states together with Finland are set to do so from Friday, to allow free movement across borders of their citizens. Switzerland, Austria, Germany and France are also reportedly set to lift internal border controls and create an “inner travel bubble” for holidaymakers and others. Denmark is apparently even looking at a travel bubble with Greece, to open up the flight path between the two for vacationers. All this depends on the spread of virus in the countries hooking up, as it hinges on travelers being exempt from mandatory quarantine on arrival.

Winning Back Traveler Confidence With Strict Health Measures

If you are going on holiday somewhere in Europe, the EU wants to make sure travelers are guaranteed that correct health precautions are in place from the airline to the hotel. It is urging hotels and other tourism operators to make COVID-19 prevention measures an active part of their marketing as they try to regain tourist confidence, and woo people to holiday spots.

Countries should be ready to apply containment measures such as hygiene and social distancing at all points of the journey including border crossings. Additional safeguards need to be in place when physical distancing is difficult to ensure.

Many in the tourism industry believe European holiday resorts have a tough job on their hands, and that fear will keep many people at home this summer. Vestager says she understands people’s reluctance to travel, despite the health protocols to be put in place. “We are trying to diminish the uncertainty not remove it. Which is why it’s very important for each and every one of us to decide whether we want to travel or not.”

Tourism Industry Recovery

The other major aim of the EU tourism package of course, other than assuring its citizens the right to summer rest and relaxation, and restoring traveler freedom, is to save the ailing travel industry.

“Tourism is a vital part of the economy representing nearly 10% of GDP across Europe. Millions of jobs depend on tourism and that is often in areas where there aren’t other industries,” Vestager says.

Refunds For Cancelled Flights, Holidays

The EU also wants airlines and travel companies to give people full cash refunds for cancelled travel, rather than insist on time-limited vouchers. “You can take a voucher but you have a right to a refund if your plane is not flying,” Vestager told the BBC.

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