The European Union on Wednesday took new steps
towards re-opening travel to international visitors, with ambassadors of the 27
member states agreeing that individuals who have received EU-approved
vaccinations for Covid-19 should be allowed entry to the bloc.
They also agreed
to ease the criteria on what should be considered a 'safe country' from which
all residents would be allowed entry. The decision must be formally approved by
national leaders.
The European Medicines Agency has authorised
the Covid-19 vaccinations produced by Astra Zeneca, Johnson & Johnson,
Moderna and Pfizer. However, the ambassadors also proposed that countries may,
on an individual basis, decide if they will admit travellers who have received
World Health Organization-recognised emergency-use vaccines such as China's
Sinopharm.
When travel restrictions to the bloc will be
lifted remains unclear, but it could be as early as next week for some
countries like Greece and Italy that are eager to stimulate economies reliant
on tourism, according to multiple news reports. Such countries may also forego
quarantine or testing requirements for entry, whereas other member countries
may maintain higher barriers for incoming travellers.
Germany, for example, last week updated its
coronavirus regulations to allow vaccinated travellers and those with negative tests arriving from countries on
its risk list to avoid quarantine, although people arriving from high-risk countries
and those where variants of concern are circulating would still need to isolate
for between 10 and 14 days.
What documentation will be required is also
not clear. According to the New York Times, EU officials are in discussion with
the US to determine whether the paper vaccination certificates issued to US
residents will be sufficient proof of vaccination. Such documentation has been
vulnerable to fraud. EU residents will reportedly be issued digital
verification of vaccination by June.
Travellers from EU-recognised safe countries
would also be allowed to visit, whether vaccinated or not. According to the New
York Times, that list, based on epidemiological criteria and updated regularly,
will be finalised on Friday. A draft of the eased criteria defines a safe
country as one with a two-week average case rate below 75 per 100,000
residents. Most EU member countries would not meet that criteria.
Industry reaction
While the global travel industry is likely to
see the EU's steps toward a broader opening to tourism and business travel as a
sign of bluer skies ahead, the move has also caused frustration for travel
industry leaders in regions where governments have not made broad moves.
"The
European Union's risk-based, science-driven plan to reopen international travel
will hopefully spur the U.S. to heed the many calls for a plan and timetable to
safely reopen our borders," said US Travel Association president and CEO
Roger Dow. "The right conditions are in place: vaccinations are
increasing, infections are decreasing, all inbound visitors get tested or have
to prove they've recovered, and it's possible to determine vaccine status."
Dow implied,
however, that politics might be in play regarding the construction of 'safe country'
lists. He said, "The US is being left off the UK and EU safe list because
we aren't yet moving forward to let international visitors back in." If
the epidemiological criteria in the draft document cited by the New York Times
holds, the US would technically not qualify for the list. Some reports,
however, say the US is likely to make the next cut.
"The US
has been a leader in many aspects of managing the pandemic but is behind our
global competitors in pursuing an international economic reopening. The
millions of travel-related US jobs that were lost to the pandemic won't come
back on the strength of domestic travel alone, so identifying the path to
restarting international visitation is essential to an overall economic
recovery."
Business
Travel Association chief executive Clive Wratten similarly used the EU move to
push UK officials to do more.
In a statement provided to BTN Europe he said: "The
BTA welcomes the clear stance of the EU that will stimulate all forms of
travel. We urge the UK Government to introduce reciprocal arrangements for
travellers returning from these countries.
“It’s imperative that the
Government updates current travel guidance to remove the uncertainty around the
amber list countries without delay. The lack of clarity is damaging business
and consumer confidence."
IATA has also welcomed the move.
Director general Willie Walsh said, "There is increasing scientific evidence that vaccination is not only protecting people but also dramatically reducing the risk of Covid-19 transmission. This is bringing us closer to a world where vaccination and testing enables the freedom to travel without quarantine. Germany and at least 20 other countries have already taken an important step forward in re-opening their borders to vaccinated travelers. These are the best practice examples for others to quickly follow."
Additional reporting by Mark Frary