Today a colleague sent around a “breaking news report” from the New York Times: European countries may allow American tourists to visit this summer if they show proof of being fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus. This was incredibly encouraging since global business travel has begun intra-EU and international assignments can’t be too far behind.
According to the UN World Tourism Organization, Europe’s top five most-visited countries are Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. Currently travel to France, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom remain heavily restricted, and travel to Germany is not advised for American citizens by the U.S. State Department.
As the EU is anxious to restore tourism after a year of no travel, Americans are anxious to get on a plane and head to Europe. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautions Americans not to go to Greece, Italy, Spain or the United Kingdom. Currently more than half of the population in those countries have received a first vaccine dose and outdoor restaurants have reopened, along with nonessential shops.
If you are traveling to Europe for essential business, the EU Commission’s Re-open EU App can also help. This app provides up-to-date information on the health situation, safety precautions, and travel restrictions for all EU countries. It also includes the non-EU members of the Schengen area: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. As borders open for business travelers, country entry requirements continue to change on a daily basis. Fragomen is a good source for regularly updated immigration summaries, by country.
As we continue to sit tight in the global mobility industry, articles like these give us hope that the end of the mass lockdowns are near, and life as we know it, at least for global mobility, can slowly return to normalcy.
I don’t know about you but thinking of a café crème in one hand and a fresh croissant in the other, a summer vacation in Paris sounds good right about now. Enjoy our new video on France!
Written by Cathy Heyne, GMS-T, Managing Director
