A European "health pass" to try to reinvigorate tourism
Audio 04:05
The introduction of the "European Covid digital certificate" should make it easier to travel within the European Union this summer.
Here at Malaga Airport, Spain on June 7, 2021 © REUTERS - Jon Nazca
By: Pauline Gleize Follow
9 mins
With the approach of the summer holidays, this Thursday, the
European "
health pass
" comes into force.
It should facilitate movement within the Union and in six other countries, including Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.
Objective: to try to revive tourism.
Publicity
This “
European Covid digital certificate
”
, of its official name, is in fact quite simply a document with a QR-Code and a digital signature which can be read by all the countries of the device.
The traveler can present it in digital form, via the TousAntiCovid application, for the French for example, or on paper.
This pass can be used to prove three things: either the vaccination status, or that the tourist has passed a test and is negative, or that he is immune after contracting the disease, for this a positive PCR test will be requested. , test with a maximum validity of six months.
This document will facilitate travel as all countries will be able to read data generated in another country.
This should avoid fraud but also translation problems, for example.
If you are in a country that is not yet ready to issue this certificate, don't panic!
A grace period is granted for six weeks.
Six weeks during which it will always be possible to present other national documents.
"
Disparate strategies
"
This device "
will facilitate traffic at the borders
, greets Jean-Pierre Mas, the president of Travel Companies,
but will not change most of the situation
."
Either way, 2021 should be better than 2020. At least, Italy hopes to welcome 24% more tourists than last summer. Greece also expects better receipts than last year. But, some players remain skeptical: the International Air Transport Association, Iata, and other associations of companies regret “
disparate strategies
” within the Union. This may well be the only regional effort to harmonize travel conditions, according to the World Tourism Organization, everyone is playing their own part.
For example, it is up to the countries of destination to decide whether or not to accept antigenic tests.
The validity period of the tests may also vary.
As for vaccines, countries are required to accept on their soil travelers who have received one of the serums authorized by Brussels.
On the other hand, they are free to accept or not the vaccines approved by the WHO or by certain EU countries such as the Russian Sputnik V used in Hungary.
It is therefore necessary to check before leaving, especially as this health passport is not a master key.
Two days before its entry into force, Germany has placed Portugal on the red list.
Decision deplored by the European Commission.
Internal health restrictions
Internal health restrictions could also cool down applicants at the start.
In Greece, unvaccinated people will have to test negative to enter restaurants.
In Ireland, the interior of bars and restaurants will be reserved only for vaccinated or immunized people.
So many limitations that could be taken into account when choosing your vacation destination.
As far as extra-European travel is concerned, the matter is even more delicate.
Trade with Asia remains very limited.
That said, Thailand is starting to open up not to send tourists to Europe, but to receive tourists in Phuket.
In any case, the flow of foreign tourists will remain less numerous than before the Covid-19, and this, at the global level.
Not before 2023
And the rebound should be delayed. The UNWTO certainly expects a certain recovery in the second half of the year, at least for North America and Europe. But, it is especially the vaccination which is put forward. Moreover, the asymmetry in access to vaccines should be reflected in the recovery of the tourism sector and should
amplify the shock on tourism in developing countries
.
Either way, the projections of GDP loss due to the decline in tourism are bad for everyone. Even in the best of the three scenarios studied by UNWTO and UNCTAD, not one region will come out without loss this year. Mediterranean Europe will lose between 1.4% and 2.3% of GDP linked to tourism. This is less than the world average. It is especially much less than Central America which should lose up to almost 12%. Forecasts anticipate the impact on West Africa's GDP at around -4%, and in the best-case scenario for North Africa, -5%.
Globally, over the years 2020 and 2021, the collapse of tourism could cause the world GDP to lose more than 4 trillion dollars.
And the number of pre-crisis international tourist arrivals is not expected to be reached until 2023.
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