On 13 May the European Commission presented ‘a package of guidelines and recommendations to help Member States gradually lift travel restrictions and allow tourism businesses to reopen after months of lockdown, while respecting necessary health precautions.’ After the disparate method for closing borders that prevailed at the beginning of the pandemic, the EU Commission proposes more coordination for their reopening by putting forward a gradual approach starting with the lifting of controls between regions or Member States that display sufficiently similar epidemiological situations.
The Commission’s Tourism and Transport package includes:
- An overall strategy towards recovery in 2020 and beyond;
- A common approach to restoring free movement and lifting restrictions at EU internal borders in a gradual and coordinated way;
- A framework to support the gradual re-establishment of transport whilst ensuring the safety of passengers and personnel;
- A recommendation which aims to make travel vouchers an attractive alternative to cash reimbursement for consumers;
- Criteria for restoring tourism activities safely and gradually and for developing health protocols for hospitality establishments such as hotels.
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