" Tourism is life, it's going out, traveling, discovering (...) yes, there will be a tourist season this summer ", said European Commissioner Thierry Breton this morning on Europe 1. " We is entering this progressive phase of reopening our borders, ”he said.
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While Austria announced the reopening of its borders with Germany on June 15, Thierry Breton assured that " everyone must open its borders according to the evolution of the pandemic ". " We must now gradually harmonize, " he pleaded.
" We are a continent, we must react to the rhythm of a continent, " he said. " What is mine is to save the tourism sector (...) it will depend on all of us collectively (...) but in the end it is the health authorities who decide in collaboration with the actors of the world of tourism ”.
He also said that " professionals prepare and organize " in order to put in place barrier measures to welcome tourists safely. " There will be many places in France and Europe where this will be implemented, " he said.
Tourism in Europe represents " 3 million businesses " and over all the nights in hotels and campsites, " 60% are domestic and 27% intra-community ", according to Thierry Breton. " The season is not going to be lost because we have this appetite and we have organizations preparing, " he commented, adding that " we must help them " financially.
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This is precisely the objective of the European aid plan under discussion at the European Commission which aims to support tourism on the Old Continent. "These are not small amounts, because it is up to what must be done very quickly," he said, indicating that it will soon be discussed with the 27.
For its part, the French government will unveil this Thursday "its Marshall plan" intended to save the sector thanks to a battery of measures at 1.5 billion euros.