The European Union has opened the door to travellers from the United States in what could be a significant boost to the tourism and hospitality industry.
Last week the Council of the European Union recommended that temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU were gradually lifted for 8 more countries, with the US being one.
The prospects on welcoming Americans has been hailed as a positive piece of news, although the short-term timetable is still uncertain.
"We think this is a great start, but we still have to read the small print," Eduardo Santander, executive director for the European Travel Commission, said. "It's probably a couple of weeks until there is certainty about all the little things a traveler has to take into account before coming to Europe, and in particular, the issue of mobility within the European Union."
The so-called “white list” now contains 14 countries. The list is only advisory and countries can apply their own rules.
The United Kingdom is not on the list thanks to a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases as a result of the Delta variant. The variant is now spreading into other countries with Portugal implementing restrictions on travel to and from its capital city, Lisbon over the weekend.
Travel sentiment boost
More than half of Europeans (51%) want to visit another European country this summer with Spain, Italy, France, Greece, and Portugal their favoured destinations.
The recent introduction of the EU Digital Covid Certificate has also been received positively among Europeans. Around 57% of respondents feel that the certificate will facilitate the planning of their next trip.
The findings were part of a wider study by the European Travel Commission, looking into sentiment for domestic and intra-European travel.
The EU’s vaccine passport, which was formally signed off last week, is up and running in 17 countries already ahead of the official launch on 1 July. The idea is to help facilitate free movement by exempting holders from restrictions like quarantine.
Two-thirds of Europeans intending to take a trip by the end of November 2021, only 15% remain uncertain, and 15% are not willing to travel.
The pace of vaccinations in Europe together with the EU’s vaccine passport seem to be helping the outlook. Around 70% of respondents are already making travel plans for the next six months, up from 56% in February 2021 and also at the highest point since August 2020.
What about the UK?
The big problem for hotels and others in the tourism industry is there are still big question marks over when UK holidaymakers will be allowed to visit the rest of Europe.
Brits are some of the biggest spenders in places like Spain and Greece and without them these countries are missing out on millions of Euros in lost revenue.
“The reports that British tourists may not return to major European tourism destinations until early August are disheartening,” Ángel Vázquez, the minister of tourism promotion for Lanzarote, told the I newspaper.
“We have invested a lot of resources and put a lot of work into ensuring we are able to offer international visitors a dream holiday in the safest possible conditions given the circumstances posed by Covid.
“The UK market is the most important source market for Lanzarote, so it is with much anticipation that we await Brits’ return.”