EU to give green light for vaccinated tourists

The European Union has taken a step toward relaxing travel rules for tourists from outside the 27-nation bloc by agreeing on measures to allow in fully vaccinated visitors.

EU ambassadors on Wednesday afternoon (early Thursday AEST) also agreed to ease the criteria needed for nations to be considered COVID-19-safe and from which all tourists can travel, depending on their coronavirus and vaccination status. Under the existing criteria, Australia and New Zealand are two of only seven nations.

The EU imposed restrictions on non-essential travel last year to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The bloc’s ambassadors said many of those restrictions should be eased, including to permit vacation travel by non-EU residents.

The European Council made up of EU nations “will now recommend that member states ease some of the current restrictions” for those who have been vaccinated, European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand said.
He didn’t give a precise date for when the borders will reopen since EU countries have yet to formally approve the measures.

“The council should also soon expand the list of non-EU countries with a good epidemiological situation from where travel is permitted,” said Wigand.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is to give advice on the list.
The US Travel Association praised the EU’s move and urged the US government to adopt a similar approach to allowing international tourism to resume.

Source: Nine News