Julia Simpson, President, and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) stated that the council firmly supports the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International Europe (ACI) request to abolish all present limitations on intra-EU and Schengen Area travel.
Simpson claimed that the patchwork of continuing COVID-19 limitations had harmed the overall economy. As a result, it has been emphasised once again that the measures should be repealed.
Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have urged governments throughout the European Union and Schengen Zone to abolish all remaining limitations imposed by the Coronavirus and its new variants.
Furthermore, authorities in EU and Schengen Zone territories have been urged to abolish the mask-wearing requirement for travel inside or between countries.
According to data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the epidemiological situation in several European Union nations is improving. The ECDC’s map revealed that five European nations, notably Spain, Romania, Hungary, Poland, and Malta, had registered fewer Covid-19 infection cases in the previous two weeks.
“The patchwork of restrictions do nothing to prevent the spread of COVID but have caused serious damage to the economy, causing the loss of jobs and businesses. Over the past few weeks, we have seen economies reopening. It is time to remove these ineffective restrictions and allow people to travel freely,” the statement of Simpson reads.
IATA and ACI Europe have recently urged the government to eliminate the remaining regulations for travel inside the EU and Schengen Area. These two asked countries to remove the necessity for travellers to provide a vaccine or recovery certificate, allowing them to travel freely.
Furthermore, the two aviation groups have emphasised that the EU’s relevant authorities should no longer need passengers to submit a negative Covid-19 test result or fill out a Passenger Locator Form.
Following the improvement in the Covid-19 situation, IATA and ACI have called for the removal of travel restrictions. According to these two, EU countries should relax travel restrictions because the virus no longer has major health consequences or a high number of hospitalizations.
Independent research and modelling published recently indicate that governments can confidently eliminate restrictions — both today and for any future varieties of concern. Travel restrictions have proven to be a blunt tool, having little to no effect on virus spread. Relaxing all Covid-19 restrictions will effectively restore full travel freedom.
Meanwhile, Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Europe, stated that it is past time for EU governments to focus their Covid efforts on surveillance and remove the remaining restrictions on intra-EU travel.
As of now, six EU/EEA nations have eliminated full Covid-19 travel restrictions, while several others have loosened portions of theirs. Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Hungary, Ireland, and Romania are among the countries that have eliminated all admission requirements.
The Coronavirus issue has also had a significant impact on Europe’s travel and tourism sector, prompting authorities to tighten entrance procedures and impose bans and other restrictions in order to prevent an increase in the number of infections. The travel and tourism industry generated approximately $9.2 trillion for the world economy. However, Julia Simpson emphasised that the worldwide Travel & Tourism business had sustained massive losses in the previous two years.
As a result, ACI and IATA suggestions would aid the travel and tourism industry in its recovery from the virus’s effects. Authorities in European countries are constantly seeking to assist the travel and tourism sector in recovering from the pandemic’s harms.
Legal Disclaimer: This article is provided for information purposes only.
Read all the Latest News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Add comment