The European Union on Wednesday took new steps to 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 formally be approved by national leaders.
The European Medicines Agency has authorized the Covid-19
vaccinations produced by AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer.
However, the ambassadors also proposed that countries may, on and individual
basis, decide if they will admit travelers who have received World Health
Organization-recognized 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 travelers. How each country will structure specific entry
requirements remains to be seen.
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 U.S. to determine
whether the paper vaccination certificates issued to U.S. residents will be
sufficient proof of vaccination. Such documentation has been vulnerable to fraud.
EU residents reportedly will be issued digital verification of vaccination by
sometime in June.
Travelers from EU-recognized safe countries would also be allowed
to visit, whether vaccinated or not. According to the Times, that list, based on
epidemiological criteria and updated regularly, will be finalized 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 U.S. 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
U.S. 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 Times holds, the U.S. would technically not
qualify for the list. Some reports, however, say the U.S. is likely to make the
next cut.
"The U.S. 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
U.S. 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. "The BTA welcomes the clear stance
of the EU that will stimulate all forms of travel," he said in a statement to BTN Europe. "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 amber list countries without delay. The lack of clarity
in 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."
This article was updated on May 20 with additional reporting by Mark Frary