Very carefully and yet with many restrictions, the travel season in Europe and in the rest of the world it has begun. Moving within the European Union is now easier and those who have been fully vaccinated do not need a negative test. While in the UK, a quarantine of at least five days is still mandatory for those coming from abroad.
New York, which had long been the epicenter of the virus, now records the lowest number of infections in America and is reopening to foreign tourists. Restaurants and museums welcome customers, concerts and shows in parks are back, but Broadway shows are still missing. While to add as one more incentive to visit New York is the vaccine, also offered to tourists.
The border with Europe is still closed, so for now visitors come from Latin countries like Colombia, Peru and Guatemala, where the vaccination campaign is slow.
Meanwhile, with 60 percent of the population already immunized, in order to reach 75 to July 4 to celebrate Independence Day, this time from the virus, American domestic tourism has started again. This is demonstrated by the Memorial Day data, on May 31 where 37 million people traveled and after a long time the airports began to fill up again. The most indicative sign that things are really returning to normal.
Johnson chooses autarky and the British stay home
Like last summer, the goal of the Boris Johnson-led government seems to be just one: for Britons to stay home to spend holidays and money in the UK, compensating for borders still closed to foreigners.
The strategy actually has many advantages, minimum of foreign travel and fewer infections coming from abroad, the British will now spend all the aid money inside the state and not abroad.
To block British and foreign tourists to the UK, which before Covid was the tenth most visited country in the world and fourth in Europe, was due to the mandatory quarantines imposed by Johnson until June 28, ten days alone -insulation and tests that can cost up to 300 euros. Many Britons can not afford it and like last year, will give up their beloved Spain, Italy and the Mediterranean.
While in London the only tourists are the rich, very often Asians, who can afford the tests and above all stay at least 5 days locked in hotels.
Paris, hopes the Germans to save the tourist season
From Wednesday, France will no longer require European citizens a negative test for COVID-19 to enter the territory, as long as they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The EU is classified as a green area by the French authorities, while the United Kingdom is classified as “orange” and subject to restrictions. But the recovery of tourism is still modest and the Germans have replaced the Americans in ranking the most visited visitors. The government has announced that it will provide free tampons for tourists who need to return home.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron on the other hand is leading a campaign to persuade the French to spend the summer holidays in the country, currently in the polls only 14% of French people say they want to go abroad for the summer holidays. The main reservations are in Italy, Greece, Spain and Croatia. Of course this situation is a big change for a country that until a year and a half ago was a leading destination in the world, welcoming 90 million tourists, more than its population. According to the government agency Atout France, the tourism sector lost about 61 billion euros last year.
Madrid encourages tourists with a bonus of € 600
In Madrid, everything is ready to reopen its doors to tourists. Although the situation caused by COVID-19 has not been completely overcome, the speed with which citizens are being vaccinated raises hopes of saving at least part of the season.
The municipality of the capital has also taken an initiative for a 600 euro discount for all Spanish tourists arriving in the capital.
A way to help small and medium enterprises in the sector. In the international arena, the “Greater Madrid” campaign begins in an effort to make up for last year’s losses, when the number of tourists fell by 84.6%. Another initiative is the promotion of Madrid as a major destination for wedding development.
