“We need the tourism sector to get back on its feet, the whole economy of our continent depends on it”, said Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, on Wednesday 13 May. He presented to the press a series of recommendations for the resumption of tourism activities.
As the summer season approaches, the restrictions implemented in the EU are beginning to be eased and the tourism sector is calling for a resumption of activity as early as July (see EUROPE 12485/1), the Commission is anxious to prevent the EU27 from acting again without coordination.
All the more so because – the institution itself acknowledges – as long as the spread of Covid-19 is not stopped, “travelling entails some risks”.
The Commission therefore advocates a gradual recovery in tourism and calls on the Member States to take a number of criteria into account of before allowing this recovery to take place.
They should make sure: – to have epidemiological evidence that the spread of the disease has decreased and will not increase with the arrival of tourists; – to have a health system with sufficient capacity for the local population and tourists in the event of a sudden increase in the number of cases; – to be able to follow the evolution of the health situation and guarantee widespread testing.
Interoperability of tracing applications and dedicated website
All are also invited to set up a tracing system to identify people in contact with a patient (see EUROPE 12480/2).
“The Commission and the Member States will publish a protocol on interoperability principles to ensure that voluntary approved contact tracing apps can function across borders and are reliable wherever their users are in Europe”, says the institution in its recommendations.
The Commission also announced the creation of a dedicated website where information from Member States and the tourism sector will be compiled, such as the health measures in place in each country.
Finally, an important part of the Commission’s recommendations concerns the health protocols to be put in place in European tourist establishments.
The institution recommends, for example, that an institutional infection action plan be prepared and that staff members be “aware of the symptoms” of the disease. It also gives instructions on using barriers, ventilation, disinfection of spaces, etc.
European Convention on Tourism
“Beyond crisis management, we need to prepare for the future. As for any other industrial ecosystem, the recovery of the tourism sector will have to be green, digital and resilient”, Thierry Breton brought up to conclude his speech.
The Commissioner also confirmed that a European Convention on Tourism (see EUROPE 12471/6) will be held as soon as possible. The aim of the event, he said, will be to draw up a roadmap towards a more sustainable and innovative European tourism by 2050.
To view the recommendations: https://bit.ly/3fNCqm2 (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)