As everyone knows, the Covid-19 crisis is hitting the tourism industry hard. Recently, the Ministers of Tourism of the European Union met in order to find solutions for this summer concerning the countries least affected by the coronavirus. For France, the situation is rather complicated.
Currently, no vaccine against Covid-19 is ready but a question remains in Europe:is it possible to save the summer tourist season ? According to a press release published on April 27, 2020, the Ministers of Tourism of the countries of the European Union reflected on the question within the framework of a videoconference led by the European Council. Remember in passing that the economic stakes are high. Indeed, at EU level, the tourism sector represents 10.3% of GDP and 11.7% of jobs.
The goal? Investigate the possibility of setting up "tourist corridors" between the countries least impacted by Covid-19. The possibility was also mentioned for tourists not infected with the coronavirus to cross borders. In any case, this will involve the creation of "health passports" proving the good health of tourists when entering another country.
For the moment, the ministers have mentioned a tourist corridor between Slovakia, Croatia and the Czech Republic. It is true that these three countries have a fairly low Covid-19 balance sheet . On the other hand, for some very affected countries such as France, Spain and Italy, things are getting more complicated. Indeed, these countries are simply excluded from any possibility of this kind . As far as Portugal is concerned, the authorities are dealing with a high number of infections and are trying to limit the damage. However, this country is currently on the sidelines of such a measure as long as its situation has not changed.
As the Italian daily La Repubblica explains, a local company is trying to come up with some rather daring solutions. This proposes the installation of Plexiglas boxes on the beaches to ensure a safe distance between families. However, it is doubtful that such an enterprise can appeal to both decision-makers and tourists.
While the videoconference of Tourism Ministers of European Union countries did not satisfy all parties, some countries played their card independently of the European Council. For example, Austria and Germany, wishing toreopen their borders from June 15. The Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) have already stopped customs checks. In addition, France and the United Kingdom are currently discussing a bilateral agreement avoiding the quarantine of British tourists visiting France and vice versa.
Other countries have made good progress, such as Greece, having already reached an agreement with Israel. It's about welcoming one million Israeli tourists in impeccable sanitary conditions. Moreover, Greece is currently discussing with other countries to find similar agreements.
