Reopening the European borders for summer tourism
Well, it’s about a time to take a break and to escape this lockdown. Most of us are relieved with the news that official governments of European countries decided to ease the restrictions and to allow travel inside European borders. As for us who are fed up staying at home, this is a chance to travel at least to the neighboring destination and to enjoy the summer.
Although June 15 is the date when we expect the borders to be open to all European countries, some of the states brought decisions to open borders to neighboring states a little sooner.
GERMANY
The Interior Ministry said that some border crossings with Austria, Switzerland, and France would begin opening this Saturday until controlled conditions.
AUSTRIA
Vienna announced that two crossings with Hungary would be opened, and the borders for the visitors coming from Germany. Austria had terrible losses in ski tourism because it relies on the neighboring German visitors.
Vienna also expects to come to a similar agreement with Switzerland, and it’s other eastern neighbors.
FRANCE
The officials in France agreed with the UK to allow passage back and forth due to the flow of delivery vehicles that passes between two countries without the country’s mandatory 14-day quarantine. In addition, the same will be applied for arrivals from the Schengen open-border zone, which includes Switzerland.
ITALY
Although Italy is the country where Europe’s outbreak first took serious hold, Italy technically never ordered to close its borders. Tourism is the primary element of the Italian economy. Under normal circumstances, it is the fifth-most visited country in the world. The cut of international travel had a severe impact on the Italian economy and unemployment.
SPAIN
Spain is also heavily reliant on foreign tourism, so the country reopened its borders but imposed a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine regulation on anyone who arrives in the country. The rule will stay in place for the duration of the country’s state of emergency, which is to be expired on May 24, but it is expected to be extended.
PORTUGAL
Portugal’s tourism board has said the country beaches and hotel will be ready to welcome tourists mid-June. The government wants to be assured that the measurements have been implemented, so the board is concerned about how to check that new arrivals have been tested for the coronavirus, and how to control social distancing on the beaches.
NORWAY
Although not an EU member state, Norway, as a member of the European Economic Area, is following European movements on the pandemic response. Travelers from EU nations, including UK, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, will be allowed to enter Norway for work or if they have family members living in the country.
POLAND
Warsaw has announced that its strict rules will remain in place until June 12. However, diplomats, foreigners with Polish residency, and the truck drivers will be able to pass at specific checkpoints.
ICELAND
Not an EU member, Iceland, as a Schengen area or visa-free travel has announced that, like many European countries, it will begin easing foreign travel restrictions on June 15. New arrivals will have to choose whether to submit to an immediate coronavirus test upon arrival or to complete a 14-day quarantine wherever they stay.
CROATIA
Croatia, according to the Health Minister Gari Cappelli said that tourists from neighboring Slovenia would be allowed to cross the border without the mandatory 14-day quarantine after returning from abroad if they come from Croatia. For German tourists that frequently visit the islands in the Adriatic Sea, they will be allowed to visit Croatia no later than June 15. Cappelli also said that he expected similar agreements with other EU countries soon.
GREECE
As one of the countries with the lowest impact of coronavirus and the outbreak in Europe as a result of an early lockdown and rigorous one, the government is still wary of opening its borders to keep it that way. The country currently plans to open six posts on its northern frontier to tourist in the coming weeks and petitioned the European Commission to draft official guidance for the entire bloc on how to handle summer tourism. Greece is one of the countries that profoundly relies on tourism.
And it is up to us. We can travel again, but with some restrictions that we are not used to. Anyhow, we can relax and plan our summer holiday.
For more, please refer to Emporium-lifestyle
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