Europe eases corona restrictions and borders are open again
After more than two months studying and working from home, most people will look forward to a foreign vacation. t is more and more likely that such a vacation will be possible this summer. Many European countries have decided to ease the corona restrictions. The economy is restarting and so are the aviation and vacation industries. Because of this, people might wonder: Where in Europe can I go on a vacation this summer?
European guidelines and rules for a foreign vacation
These last weeks, the European Commission has been thinking about various topics, like the corona voucher and opening the borders of European countries.
The European Commission has made guidelines for a safe restart of the tourist industry. The European Commission has decided that countries are allowed to open their borders for tourists, if these tourists are from a country with a comparable corona situation. Concretely this means that the contamination degree and corona restrictions of the country of the tourist must be comparable and equal with the country the tourist wants to visit. With help of the guidelines, the European Commission wants to protect the health and safety of the people in the European Union and give the economy- and the aviation and vacation industries- an opportunity to recover.
Aviation enthusiastic about message of the European Commission
Although not all of the European people will have their vacation abroad, there will be enough European citizens who are longing for a foreign vacation. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and ACI Europe are enthusiastic about the message of the European Union that the borders can be open again. They stated that many hygiene measures have been taken and that the health and safety of their passengers is their most important priority. Recently the IATA and ACI Europe decided to work together to make a policy which ensures safe transport. They have also thought about solutions for (among other things) the distance people should be able to keep at the airport and during the flights.
European countries who have decided to open their borders and travelbubbles
The IATA and ACI Europe are satisfied with opening the borders again and the opportunity of having a foreign vacation. But not only the IATA and ACI are enthusiastic. After the message of the European Commission, many European countries announced when and how their borders would be open.
Portugal would like to see the tourists returning, but they will test the tourist with a health check to prevent the contamination of the coronavirus. A quarantine period is no longer considered necessary. Spain takes the same view and stated that tourists are welcome from 1 July 2020. The country encourages both domestic and foreign tourists to have their holiday in Spain. Iceland also wants, considering the European guidelines, to ease their corona restrictions from 15 June 2020. From that moment on, the quarantine period will no longer apply and Iceland will test the tourist with a health check.
Greece will welcome tourists from 15 June 2020 and will open many beaches. Despite the high contamination degree, Italy was the first to state the tourist industries and aviation industries would restart from June 2020. That date only applies as long as the corona statistics show improvement. The Netherlands will open their borders for tourists from the Schengen countries. Tourists from the United Kingdom can also visit the Netherlands under one condition: they must be able to provide a declaration of health.
From 15 June 2020 Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary will open their borders for each other (and not for other European countries). In this way the will form a travelbubble. Italy will not be a part of that travelbubble, because of their higher contamination degree and worse corona statistics. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are also likely to form a travelbubble.
Sweden and the United Kingdom have a contamination degree. As a result, Sweden is likely to be closed for a bit longer and the United Kingdom stated that anyone who wishes to enter the country should be quarantined for 2 weeks.
Keeping order in the corona chaos
After the message from the European Commission many European countries announced what their policy would to open their borders. Brussels is worried about the diverse policy and the various rules of the European countries. They had hoped for more coordination between the countries. Brussels would like European countries to keep order and to align as much as possible, so as not to make the corona chaos even greater.
Opening the borders of the European countries remains a risk, because the chance of further spread and infection of the coronavirus will of course remain. The coming weeks and months will therefore be exciting for Europe.
Joe Kuijpers
As chief operating officer I am responsible for the operational affairs within Claim24. My daily activities consist of monitoring or improving our services and managing our team of enthusiastic employees in the Netherlands and +10 international countries.
