The current patchwork of restrictions across Europe is creating confusion for the European travel and tourism industries and for workers

  • 14 European actors in aviation and tourism are calling for international coordination of all restrictive measures in connection with COVID-19
  • The group claims that there is a need for coordination of travel restrictions, vaccination certificates and testing requirements
  • A clear and concise set of coordinated actions across Europe will help restore public confidence and is the only chance to save the upcoming summer season

Ahead of the extraordinary meeting of tourism ministers on March 1st, 14 European aviation and tourism actors asked the Portuguese EU Presidency to invest its efforts in coordinating all related restrictive measures COVID-19.

In an open letter, industry and workers’ organizations reaffirmed the Presidency’s motto: “Time to deliver: a fair, green and digital recovery” and outlined the various measures that would revitalize the sector by enabling international travel to restart as soon as it does done is sure to do this. The group claims that there is a need to coordinate travel restrictions, vaccination certificates and testing requirements, which continue to negatively impact tourism and aviation.

The associations are calling for EU harmonization on the following issues:

  • Widespread use of affordable, reliable, and fast tests to ease current travel restrictions;
  • Ending quarantine requirements for air travelers who have already tested negative;
  • Clarity about timing, languages ​​and exceptions to COVID-19 tests that remains unclear
  • Exemption of vaccinated travelers from testing, quarantine and other restrictions;
  • Use of vaccinations not as a requirement for travel but to help restart air travel.

“We believe the European Union can save the remains of the tourism and aviation sectors by taking a truly coordinated approach to these challenges. The current patchwork of restrictions across Europe is causing confusion in the European travel and tourism industry and among workers, “the associations say, pointing out that unpredictability and lack of clarity about restrictions are hindering air connectivity, which in turn affects employment at risk in the aviation sector, in tourism and beyond.

A clear and precise set of coordinated actions across Europe will help restore public confidence and is the only chance to save the upcoming summer season. Otherwise hundreds of thousands more jobs could be lost across Europe.

The open letter is signed by:

Airline Catering Association (ACA)
Airline Coordination Platform (ACP)
Airlines for dialogue (A4D)
Airlines for Europe (A4E)
Airport Services Association (ASA)
Airport Council International – Europe (ACI Europe)
Air traffic controller coordination of the European Union (ATCEUC)
Organization of civil air navigation services (CANSO)
European Cockpit Association (ECA)
European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT)
European Regions Airline Association (ERA)
Europeans for Fair Competition (E4FC)
European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF)
UNI Europa

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