What is the future of tourism in Europe? 2:47
(CNN) - The Christmas lights are going out across Europe.
Just weeks after many countries opened their borders to travelers within the continent, some are closing again, often on such short notice that people have to struggle to get home before quarantine orders are put in place.
This confusion, often accompanied by bitterness and threats of retaliation from countries that feel unfairly added to covid-19's so-called 'red lists' of unsafe destinations, appears to undermine efforts to save the vital summer tourism economy. in Europe long before the warm sunny months have cooled into winter.
The latest victim is Croatia, which this Thursday was removed from the UK safe list, which means that anyone arriving in the UK from that country will be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine from August 22.
The move, a response to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases now affecting many European countries, will potentially prevent tens of thousands of British tourists from enjoying the sparkling blue waters and beautiful islands off the Dalmatian coast, and will deprive Croatia than your sixth highest source of visitors.
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Earlier this week, Croatia was included on the red list, by Slovenia, its second largest source of tourism, and Austria.
This occurs when Belgium added Malta to its highest risk list, along with Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Bulgaria and the United Kingdom. Norway has added several destinations, including Greece, Ireland, and Austria.
France was added to the U.K.'s list of unsafe countries last week, prompting howls of protest from both legions of British vacationers who see staying in their neighbor as an annual rite of summer, as well as French authorities. They threatened a reciprocal quarantine measure for those arriving from the UK.
As a result, many tourists traveling between Europe's once wide-open internal borders must now decide whether to postpone, cancel or continue their travels and resign themselves to two weeks of self-isolation upon return.
Meanwhile, destinations fueled by a resurgence of tourists are now back at the starting point.
It is a far cry from the excitement of the news that the European Union opened its doors wide in July.
A list of 'safe' destinations outside the bloc was soon drawn up, while several countries began to open their borders to each other, such as the United Kingdom, which organized 'travel corridors' between England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and destinations such as Spain, Germany and France.
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Quarantine U-turns
Of course, the patterns were always "subject to change," but no one could have predicted how soon and how often they would change in the following weeks.
One of the first major changes came a few weeks later, when the UK removed Spain from its list of safe destinations due to rising rates of coronavirus infection, a move that sparked panic among some tourists and the president's condemnation. the government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, who described the measure as "unfair."
"We see governments resorting to quarantine measures as a way to deal with the coronavirus," explains Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency and a former member of the Quash Quarantine campaign group, which previously tried to pressure the government. from the United Kingdom to lift general restrictions on all arrivals to the United Kingdom.
And it is not the answer, because it prevents people from traveling. It prevents growth from returning.
Travelers from Croatia will now be subject to a 14-day quarantine upon arrival in the UK. (JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
Authorities have also warned that more uncertainty is to come. Grant Shapps, the UK Transport Minister, who was caught by surprise for changing quarantine rules while on holiday in Spain, said Thursday that all travel windows were subject to sudden closure.
"Travel only if you are satisfied with an unexpected 14-day quarantine if necessary (I speak from experience!)," He said via Twitter.
Data also shows we can now add Portugal to those countries INCLUDED in Travel Corridors. As with all air bridge countries, please be aware that things can change quickly. Only travel if you are content to unexpectedly 14-day quarantine if required (I speak from experience!)
- Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) August 20, 2020
General approach
Croatia has been removed from the list of safe destinations to travel in the United Kingdom, due to the coronavirus.
Although the decision to add or remove a country from quarantine travel lists is based on infection rates compiled by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, it ultimately means that a blanket ban is imposed on everything. fate, including regions that have been only marginally impacted by the virus.
For example, the UK's decision to reinstate its mandatory two-week quarantine for arrivals from Spain came after a surge in infections on the continent.
However, the autonomously governed Canary Islands, which are heavily dependent on tourism, have a much lower infection rate.
Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal with just over 100 reported infections at the time of writing, has also fallen victim to this general approach.
This has proven to be a source of frustration for both potential travelers and the travel and tourism industry.
While Charles understands this discontent, he says that applying different restrictions to different regions of a country - what Norway has chosen to do for parts of Denmark, Sweden and Spain - can be confusing for travelers.
"If governments go the route of regional corridors or island-only approaches, I think that could add more confusion," he adds. "Because then they have to produce many more lists of where you can and where you can't go."
He believes the solution is very simple: make COVID-19 tests more effective.
Charles argues that travelers must take at least two tests. The first is when they arrive at the airport and the second several days later.
"Governments have to invest more in testing," he says. “It is cheaper for them to invest more in testing than to suffer the enormous financial disadvantage of the impact of quarantine measures on an economy.
“When the vast majority of healthy people are quarantined, it substantially affects productivity.
"It affects the recovery and further damages the overall economy," said Charles.
Double tests
Charles points to Iceland as an example of a European destination that got it right when it comes to testing.
The Nordic island nation has just introduced a double test procedure in which travelers undergo two tests at a cost of around US $ 65, a fee that at least one Icelandic travel company has offered to cover.
The first test is done upon arrival at the airport. If negative, the visitor must still self-isolate for five to six days before taking a second test. If this result is also negative, they are given the green light to move freely around the country.
But if the test is positive, they must remain in isolation.
This is how Iceland defeats the coronavirus and reopens its borders 3:16Aviation services company Collinson and logistics company Swissport recently proposed a similar system for London Heathrow Airport that would make 13,000 COVID-19 tests available to passengers every day, with results available 'in hours'.
Unlike other European countries such as Germany and Austria, the UK is not testing visitors upon arrival.
The proposed scheme, aimed at travelers from countries considered "high risk," would require arriving people to take a second test at home.
Those who pass both tests will receive an early exemption from the 14-day quarantine.
"The tests will not only avoid the 'quarantine roulette' faced by so many passengers in Spain and France, but will also open flights to key trading partners such as the United States, Canada and Singapore," said Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye. it's a statement.
“The government's own research shows that a double test has a high level of accuracy in detecting covid-19.
“This facility is a ready opportunity to see how Britain can safely reopen for business, as other countries are doing.
A potential ray of sunshine for UK travelers and Europe's tourism industry was the UK's decision this week to lift restrictions on arrivals from Portugal, which basically opened a new travel window.
The decision was welcomed by the Portuguese National Tourism Board, which issued a statement saying that the measure "reflects much better the reality of the situation in Portugal."
Whether this will create a resurgence in travel between the two countries remains to be seen. As travelers struggle to keep up with the changing rules, many feel increasingly frustrated and confused. Few are likely to gamble on the possibility of spending 14 days in quarantine.
"The problem is that quarantine measures kill travel, as well as telling customers that borders are closed," adds Charles.
“No business or leisure traveler is going to choose to go to a place where they have to be quarantined for 14 days before they can do something.
"The only alternative is testing, to allow people to move freely within a country."