They鈥檙e back! Europe opens
Print Edition
They鈥檙e back! Foreign tourists can once again be seen and heard strolling the streets of European cities. But despite Europe throwing open its doors, tourists say traveling during the pandemic is complicated.
Since June 9, it is possible for tourists to visit Europe again, depending on the health situation in their country of origin, and vaccination record of the traveler.
Among the different measures that can apply are a proof of full vaccination more than two weeks prior to travel, a certificate of COVID recovery less than six months prior to travel, a negative RT-PCR or antigen test, health form, quarantine or self-isolation of 7 to 10 days.
The differences feed into uncertainty that travelers face.
鈥淥ne day you need this, another day that. When we arrived at the airport, we were asked to fill out new papers, even though we had already filled out several,鈥 remarked Brandon McDaniel, a Texas businessman who was on a five-week trip with his family.
His wife Crystal, a designer, added: 鈥淲e know that it will be very expensive after a while to do all the tests required to enter each country, but if that鈥檚 what it takes to be able to travel again, we will do it.鈥
The United States is on a 鈥済reen鈥 list of countries according to a scale established in France in mid-June, which means people from there do not need a test if they have been fully vaccinated.
鈥淎mericans have wanted to come back for some time,鈥 noted Corinne Menegaux, head of the Paris tourism office.
鈥淚n all surveys we see that Paris is still the main destination for them. And since vaccination campaigns began there earlier, many have been inoculated, which makes travelling easier.鈥
In spite of the reopening, the number of US tourists visiting Paris is down 85 percent from June 2019, and arrivals by foreign tourists in general are down 60 percent, the tourism office says.
鈥淚n 2019, there were 10 million people over the summer. In 2020 we welcomed 2 million and this year we expect between 4 and 5 million,鈥 Menegaux said.
Denis Farias, who runs a souvenir shop near the Eiffel Tower, said: 鈥淭here are really no more tourists in Paris at the moment.
鈥淭wo years ago there were five of us in the shop, now I am on my own.鈥 Numbers may be down in part to the uncertainty over whether Europe would allow tourists for summer.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
