While waiting for the European Health Card, the tourist countries are organizing themselves

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France

France, the world leader in the presence of 90 million tourists in 2019, announced a multi-stage recovery program between May 19, when shops, museums and theaters will reopen with stairs and terraces, and on June 9, cafes and restaurants will open. It will be able to reopen indoors and will welcome tourists with a health card and virtual return to normal on June 30th.

This program remains subject to a condition that the infection rate remains below 400 per 100,000. Other than that, ”Emergency brakesSanitary ware can be activated.

Greece

Greece, which reopened its balconies on May 3, relies on its islands ‘Free from COVID’ To revive tourism. Much work has been done to complete the grafting of the islands by mid-May to accommodate the millions of tourists who come each year.

Private beaches reopened on Saturday April 15, museums will follow on May 14, open-air cinemas on May 21 at reduced capacity and theaters on May 28.

Since mid-April, the country has lifted the mandatory seven-day quarantine of permanent residents of the member states of the European Union and the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, the United States, Israel, Serbia and the United Arab Emirates.

Cruise passengers are also welcomed at the country’s ports, where tourism accounts for more than 20% of GDP, according to World Trade and Tourism Council (WTTC), which brings together the world’s major tour operators.

In Greece, outdoor cafes reopened, as in here in Athens, on May 10, in preparation for the summer season. Photo: AFP / VNA / CVN

Spain

In 2019, Spain welcomed 83.5 million foreigners, making it the second largest tourist destination in the world. In 2020, the country, hard hit by the coronavirus, saw a 77% decrease in attendance.

With bars, museums, restaurants and theaters opening continuously since June 2020, the Madrid region, the most tolerant in Spain, has in recent months become a refuge for European tourists, especially the French, who can enter, as is happening elsewhere in Spain, and the only requirement is a negative PCR test for a period of Less than 72 hours.

Since Sunday May 9, Spaniards have also been allowed to leave their area and the curfew has been lifted with the exception of the Balearic Islands or the region of Valencia, which had to get the green light from the courts.

Tourism accounts for 14.1% of GDP, according to the WTTC.

Italy

As for the return of foreign tourists, Italy intends to present a national passport for vaccination from the second half of May, one month before the introduction of the European passport announced by the European Commission.

It will be allowed to travel to all regions and will be launched under the same European conditions: vaccination or infection with the COVID-19 virus, a supportive serological test or a negative test for the virus. This Italian corridor ”Valid for everyone, and therefore especially for tourists outside the European Union, ” This was stated by Tourism Minister Massimo Garavaglia.

The United States and Great Britain account for more than 30% of foreign arrivals to Italy, and it is tourists who spend the mostThis is for clarification.

Cruises from Italian ports have also resumed. Bars and restaurants can now serve their customers outdoors.

Italy welcomed 64.5 million travelers in 2019, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Malta

The island of Malta, which welcomed 2.8 million tourists in 2019 according to the World Tourism Organization, is offering a voucher of up to 200 euros per person for a stay of at least three nights in a star hotel. This amount, which must be spent on-site, increases by 10% if you stay on the island of Gozo. This offer is limited to the first 38,000 reservations.

Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in the country of origin and focus on the recent map published by the European Union, Malta may require an inoculation or a negative PCR test of less than 72 hours.

AFP / VNA / CVN