Category: Europe

Foreigners returned to Iceland this week, after a hiatus imposed by the Covid-19 outbreak, in a welcome sign for an island nation whose economy is reliant on tourism. The visitors receive free coronavirus tests directly upon arrival. “We are very pleased with how well it has gone so far,” Jonlaug Heimisdottir, the health official who is overseeing the programme, told Bloomberg in a telephone interview. If the test is negative, visitors are free to enjoy Iceland with no restrictions. As of this coming weekend, they could head straight from the airport to the steaming waters of the Blue Lagoon, just ... Read more

According to a study by HES-SO Valais institute, Swiss tourism could lose up to CHF8.7 billion ($9.2 billion) in 2020, pushing almost a quarter of businesses to the brink of bankruptcy. “The effects in the short term are already terrible,” says Véronique Kanel, spokesperson for Swiss Tourism, the organisation responsible for promoting Switzerland’s tourism industry. “And the forecasts for summer remain very cautious, with an occupancy rate of 24% for the hotel sector and 42% for other holiday accommodation.” The impact is expected to vary from region to region across the country, according to a report by Swiss Info. Deserted ... Read more

The Czech Republic partially opened its borders to neighbouring states on May 26, but tourism has been slow to catch up. That’s understandable as restrictions are still tight and the list of favoured countries is short. This would mean that the upcoming summer season would not be a fruitful one for tour operators. Prague’s mayor, Zdenek Hrib, says he is hugely concerned about the fate of tourism and pledges full support for the sector and its employees. The enforced pause could offer the city a chance to recover from “over-tourism” that is “eating the city from the inside”. “The impact ... Read more

Workers are preparing the Eiffel Tower for reopening next week, after the coronavirus pandemic led to the iconic Paris landmark’s longest closure since World War II. France’s tourism industry is opening back up, but the 1,063-feet tall wrought-iron tower won’t immediately welcome visitors the way it did before the country went into lockdown in March. Only limited numbers of people will be allowed in when the Eiffel Tower opens again on June 25, according to a report by news agency AP. Elevators to the top will be out of service, at least at first, and only the first and second ... Read more

Air France plans to serve close to 150 destinations this summer, taking its network to 80% of its usual capacity. By the end of June, the flight schedule will represent 20% of the capacity usually deployed over this period. Subject to the lifting of travel restrictions, the gradual increase in the number of frequencies and destinations will continue, reaching 35% of the flight schedule initially planned in July and 40% in August. Several routes will resume between Paris and the French regions, as well as inter-regional routes, particularly to and from Corsica. The number of services will also be increased to ... Read more

They’ve both got beaches, food, history and sunshine, but two leading tourist destinations are now selling themselves as Europe’s safest as they try to lure the visitors they need to prop up economies fried by the coronavirus. Both Portugal and Greece, which this week opened their doors wider to international visitors, are trumpeting relatively low infection rates and widespread measures to keep the virus in check. And both face financial peril unless they can persuade the tourists to come, CNN says in a detailed report. Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa believes his country remains as attractive as ever, but has ... Read more

Residents of Malta will be given 100 euro (US$112) vouchers by the government to spend in bars, hotels and restaurants in an effort to revitalise the tourist industry, news agency Reuters has reported. Tourism accounts for a quarter of the Mediterranean island’s GDP but it has been at a standstill since mid-March when flights were stopped during the coronavirus emergency. Flights to a small number of countries will resume on July 1 but they exclude big tourism source markets Britain and Italy (except Sicily). Prime Minister Robert Abela said in a statement a monthly wage subsidy of 800 euros per worker ... Read more

The world is today a slow coach. The coronavirus crisis has helped people to stop and think. Tourism destinations worldwide are pausing to reflect on their business models and Amsterdam is one among them. Last year, 19 million tourists visited Amsterdam bringing in more than 6 billion euros ($6.8 billion) in revenue, according to a Bloomberg report. But the city is facing an existential crisis. In a way, Amsterdam has been over-run by tourism. There is no other way to put it. International visitors come into the city in large numbers during peak season and locals often feel side-lined. Not ... Read more

Cafes and restaurants are reopening across France and travel to other European countries is being allowed, with French President Emmanuel Macron lifting a number of coronavirus restrictions. More than 29,400 people have died of coronavirus in France, and the country has had 194,000 confirmed cases – although the number of new cases has slowed markedly in recent days. President Macron first imposed a strict lockdown on March 17. These remained in place until May 11, when the country began to cautiously ease restrictions. In a televised address Macron said France had won its “first victory” but he warned the virus ... Read more

Hundreds of Germans landed on the Spanish island of Mallorca on Monday, the first tourists allowed into the country since borders were shut in March to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. More than 1,500 German holidaymakers are expected in the Balearic Islands as part of a pilot project that will open up a sector that accounts for 12% of Spain’s economy, before restrictions are eased next week. According to a Reuters report, visitors’ temperatures were taken at the airport and regional leader Francina Armengol said they must follow health and safety rules. “This virus is still infecting, still killing people all ... Read more

Greek tourism minister Haris Theoharis has said the ministry has made accessibility for people with disabilities in tourism a priority issue. For the first time the tourism ministry will establish an accessible tourism committee, where the goal is to map out all problems relating to accessibility issues in tourist accommodation, cultural spaces, etc, news agency AP has reported. The minister also noted that the tourism ministry is cooperating with the digital policy ministry on the creation of a website with information on accessible accommodation in Greece and any services that are useful for people with disabilities. Addressing entrepreneurs who have ... Read more

Spain will reopen its borders with Schengen zone countries on June 21, except for its border with Portugal. Earlier, the plan was to open its borders on July 1. The decision was announced on Sunday by Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez, at the weekly video conference with regional presidents, that have been regularly held since the coronavirus outbreak. The Spain-Portugal border will only be opened on July 1. The EU Commission has recommended a lifting of internal border controls in the Schengen area from June 15. As cases and deaths have decreased, Spain has been slowly removing the strict measures ... Read more

Starting June 15, Spain will fly German tourists to the Balearic Islands as part of a pilot program to revive tourism. About 6,000 Germans are likely to join in. Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca and Formentera form the beautiful Balearic Islands. Germany has been chosen the first partner for the pilot program by Spain due to its similar condition regarding the Coronavirus crisis. A few tour operators have been given the permit to fly these German tourists, who won’t be under an obligation to follow the two-week quarantine rule levied on all foreign visitors in Spain. Among them, 4000 tourists will visit ... Read more

The safety of tourists is a top priority for Greece as it reopens its airports to foreign visitors, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said. He was on a visit to the popular holiday island of Santorini. International flights to and from the country’s main airports will resume on June 15, after a nearly three-month lockdown. Accounting for about 20% of Greece’s economic output, tourism is vital for the Mediterranean nation, which emerged from a decade-long debt crisis in 2018. “It is a great pleasure to be here in Santorini… to send a message: Greece is ready to welcome tourists this ... Read more

From June 15, people from low-risk areas in the Nordic countries will be permitted to enter Norway with no quarantine requirement. Citizens of Denmark, Finland and Iceland can enter Norway from that date without quarantine. Most citizens of Sweden remain excluded. Norwegian prime minister Erna Solberg warned that everyone should expect travel restrictions to last for some time: “Let me emphasize, this is not just about where to spend the summer vacation. We must plan for travel restrictions to last for some time. There can be new outbreaks of infection in different places before there is a vaccine.” The Norwegian government does ... Read more