Last Monday during a video meeting, the Tourism Ministers of the EU Countries discussed the option of creating a certificate of security in the sphere of tourism under the provisional name “ COVID-19 passport”, which would refer to the health status of the owner of the document, and enable him/her to travel to the EU and the Schengen States. Britons May Soon Need ‘COVID-19 Passports’ to Travel to the Rest of EU Vera Jourova, the vice-president in the EU executive, has called on the bloc’s member states to lift travel bans and border controls thrown up in response to the pandemic “ as soon as possible” after it was deemed safe by scientific advice.
Some of the countries have even extended the border controls to year’s end. Yet, Schengen Member states are not quite planning to abolish the recently reintroduced temporary border controls any time soon, an updated list of the prolongation of these borders shows. “ The borders could be gradually opened, starting from the border areas that have seen reductions in COVID-19 cases,” a press release of Croatia’s Ministry of the Interior issued upon the meeting reads. In their last meeting held at the end of April, the Interior Ministers of the European Union Member States discussed the possible gradual easing or removal of measures introduced at the borders, in a videoconference chaired by the Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Davor Božinović. The external border controls of the EU remain closed for any non-essential trips, a measure which the UK has refused to apply at its borders despite the Commission’s call. By what we have seen so far, even if holidaymakers do not have to call off their plans, this summer will not be a normal summer therefore, normal vacations shall not be expected. The following few days will show whether tourism within the EU will be possible this summer for Britons. The later statements of the EC President have been backed by attempts of the 27 EU Members (without the UK), including video conference and meetings of the Ministers of Tourism and the Internal Ministers, attempting to find a solution. So, I am optimistic about summer holidays,” she said in contradiction to her previous statements. Maybe a little different, with other hygiene measures, with a little more social distance, but it is impressive to see that we have found solutions. “ I think we are going to find smart solutions to have a summer vacation. The European Commission President, for example, in mid-April showed her scepticism that summer holidays could be possible at all, warning travellers to hold off their plans.ĭays later, President Leyen asserted that plans for summer holidays in Europe could be feasible if people stick to social distancing. While many EU officials assume that tourism will completely restore by mid-summer, at least for EU nationals travelling within the block’s the Member States, other top officials cannot quite make up their mind.
Despite the ongoing attempts, and the calls for fast action, pragmatism and creativity to recover and build a resilient and sustainable tourism industry, it remains unclear when tourism in the EU will restore.