The European Commission will present this Wednesday the main outlines of its “digital green passport,” intended to allow Europeans to travel within the EU if they meet the required health conditions.
Since last year, since March 2020, tourist activity has been very, very low. According to Eurostat, the number of overnight stays in tourist accommodations dropped by more than half in the EU in 2020 compared to the previous year. In countries like Greece, Malta, or Cyprus, the decline exceeds 70%.
Safety is Brussels’ priority for reviving tourism. The plan aims to allow travel for those who have received one of the vaccines approved by the EMA, as well as for people who present a negative test. The passports must also respect data protection and confidentiality.
Another objective of the plan is that the reopening of tourism be coordinated across all member states to avoid asymmetric decisions.
Tourism represents about 10% of the European GDP and employs some 30 million people. The sector hopes that the travel certificate will be ready before mid-May to save their season.
