Travel agencies do not support mandatory “anti-Covid vaccination passports” for passengers
Vaccination or vaccination certificates should not be mandatory for travel (once vaccination is more widely available), argue travel agencies affiliated with ANAT.
According to them, vaccinated travelers or those with proven immunity should, however, be exempt from entry bans, testing, and quarantine restrictions in accordance with the latest scientific knowledge on the reduced capacity of vaccinated individuals to further spread the virus.
Over 60 tourism organizations in the European Union have developed a set of concrete recommendations for reopening travel and tourism in Europe and are calling for the creation of an operational task force coordinated by the European Commission to restore freedom of movement. The “European Tourism Manifesto” alliance, a group of over 60 public and private tourism organizations representing the voice of the tourism sector in Europe, has developed a series of common recommendations for EU Member States on how to relaunch travel and tourism in Europe in time for the summer of 2021.
At the heart of the recommendations is the development of an EU roadmap for the safe restoration of travel once countries emerge from national lockdowns.
The National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAT) is a member of the European Tourism Manifesto Alliance through ECTAA (The European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Association).
A task force coordinated by the European Commission, dedicated to restoring the free movement of persons, would lead to the development and implementation of the roadmap and provide ongoing risk-based assessments based on the latest scientific data.
The common recommendations presented by the European Tourism Manifesto Alliance were shared with EU governments ahead of two crucial discussions – a video conference of European leaders on February 25-26 and an extraordinary meeting of tourism ministers on March 1. The recommendations call on the task force to track the progress and impact of ongoing vaccination campaigns, as well as mitigation measures such as testing and quarantine, based on risk levels in the EU and internationally.
A summary of the recommendations addressed to EU Member States includes:
- Creation of an EU task force for the restoration of freedom of movement of persons – A task force coordinated by the European Commission for the restoration of the free movement of persons, to develop and implement a plan for resuming travel and a recovery roadmap.
- Coordination of travel restrictions – improved and effective European coordination of travel restrictions and requirements is urgently needed to facilitate the resumption of travel and tourism (which contributes 9.5% of EU GDP) and to provide predictability for both travelers and tourism businesses, as well as their employees.
- Testing: A harmonized EU framework for travel-related testing should include the following: Member States ensuring affordable testing, sufficient capacity, mutual recognition of tests between Member States, and ongoing international work for the mutual recognition of tests; validation of the use of antigen and other rapid tests for travel and tourism purposes is urgently needed, alongside regular evaluation of accepted tests as test efficacy improves (e.g., LAMP tests). The specificity and sensitivity of rapid antigen tests is now over 90%. It is also important to emphasize that the goal is to screen for positive cases rather than to diagnose, thereby reducing the risk of the traveling population spreading the virus further.
- E-Health Certificates: EU coordination of national initiatives is urgently needed to avoid the emergence of 27 different health certificates covering testing, vaccination, and/or immunity – DG SANTE (the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety) must take the lead and collaborate with DG MOVE (Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport) and DG GROW (Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) to create an interoperable European system that allows for rapid and digital verification of travelers’ vaccination and/or test status; vaccination or vaccination certificates should not be mandatory for travel (once vaccination is more widely available), but vaccinated travelers or those with proven immunity should be exempt from entry bans, testing, and quarantine restrictions in accordance with the latest scientific knowledge on the reduced capacity of vaccinated individuals to further spread the virus.
- Coordinated opening of tourism activities: Once the health situation allows, it is crucial to restart tourism and leisure activities, alongside the restoration of freedom of movement for EU citizens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a vaccination passport mandatory for travel?
No, travel agencies argue that vaccination should not be mandatory, but vaccinated individuals should be exempt from quarantine and testing restrictions.
What is the European Tourism Manifesto?
It is an alliance of over 60 public and private organizations representing the European tourism sector, working to restore freedom of movement.
What are the recommendations for COVID testing?
The alliance calls for a harmonized EU framework, affordable testing, and the mutual recognition of rapid antigen and LAMP tests across member states.