EU promises “We will have a summer tourist season” [for travellers from Europe]
May 13, 2020, 4:21 pm
#31
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,094
Opening up to non-Schengen parts of the EEA is opening up to some tourists from outside of Schengen. Opening up on June 15th to foreign tourists not currently exempted from the Schengen ban? I wouldn’t be so sure about that yet. 
May 13, 2020, 4:47 pm
#32
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 722
We won't. I won't be flying abroad until next Spring, at the earliest.
May 13, 2020, 4:49 pm
#33
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 722
The implications of that for US tourists wanting to visit the EU is pretty clear.
The EU is pushing for an internal opening by June 15th and otherwise by this summer for internal travelers.
Allowing travel for the average US passport user to play tourist in the Schengen zone is on the EU back-burner and the gas is not even on for that back-burner at this point with the above talked about “summer opening”.
Unless a US passport user is already in one of the exemption categories for the current EU travel ban, US passport users in the main shouldn’t get their hopes up for an opening to visit the EU even in July and a chunk of August. Or perhaps even after that.
The EU is pushing for an internal opening by June 15th and otherwise by this summer for internal travelers.
Allowing travel for the average US passport user to play tourist in the Schengen zone is on the EU back-burner and the gas is not even on for that back-burner at this point with the above talked about “summer opening”.
Unless a US passport user is already in one of the exemption categories for the current EU travel ban, US passport users in the main shouldn’t get their hopes up for an opening to visit the EU even in July and a chunk of August. Or perhaps even after that.
May 13, 2020, 4:52 pm
#34
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 722
....the only one that has popped up recently is the UK. All others have been in place since March, and are unlikely to be relaxed anytime soon to the extent that intercontinental tourism is possible this (northern) summer.
And note that US tourists would have to observe a total of 28 dates of self-isolation - upon arrival at their destination, and upon return to the US. It is a requirement that returning US nationals and legal permanent residents self-isolate for 14 days on return from any international travel . Given the US's ban on all non-nationals who have recently been in Europe from entering the US, you cannot view this as merely advisory or discretionary. If the threat warrants a ban on entry, then you should observe this requirement on your return.
Until countries advise that they are once again welcoming long-haul tourists/all tourists, it would be inadvisable for anyone to set out on "holidays". There is a risk that you will be refused entry if challenged for the purpose of your visit.
And note that US tourists would have to observe a total of 28 dates of self-isolation - upon arrival at their destination, and upon return to the US. It is a requirement that returning US nationals and legal permanent residents self-isolate for 14 days on return from any international travel . Given the US's ban on all non-nationals who have recently been in Europe from entering the US, you cannot view this as merely advisory or discretionary. If the threat warrants a ban on entry, then you should observe this requirement on your return.
Until countries advise that they are once again welcoming long-haul tourists/all tourists, it would be inadvisable for anyone to set out on "holidays". There is a risk that you will be refused entry if challenged for the purpose of your visit.
May 13, 2020, 4:52 pm
#35
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,094
Iceland has a wish to open to all previously admissible US tourists too and to do so by or before June 15th, but Iceland has little chance of being the change driver for opening up Schengen to US tourists. Iceland’s officials know this isn’t a done deal yet.
Beside the Icelandic quarantine or airport test/bill of health dog and pony show, Iceland wants to require US tourists to download and use their tracing app. For a country that has been strong on data privacy protections and personal data integrity, this is a sign that times have changed in Iceland.
Iceland hasn’t even finished up deciding how to work in quarantine requirements for US tourists and has said it may not know what it will do until some time in the end of May.
Last edited by GUWonder; May 13, 2020 at 5:00 pm
May 13, 2020, 4:53 pm
#36
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 722
The quarantine in US is not really a quarantine. There isn't any explicit law around it (trump's tweets don't count), and there is absolutely zero enforcement (except for Hawaii). No one should realistically be worried to visit the US based on the quarantine rules (except Hawaii). They can be worried to visit the US for other reasons (virus exposure etc), but not the risk of being locked up in a quarantine per se (except Hawaii).
The quarantines in other countries is way more problematic - it seems that other countries have actual real enforcement, upto and including putting you in a locked up govt facility (like India/Pakistan) or a hotel that you're not allowed to leave (like Taiwan/NewZealand). Absolutely no tourists will want to go through these enforceable and real quarantines because a holiday is not being stuck in a fancy hotel jail.
The quarantines in other countries is way more problematic - it seems that other countries have actual real enforcement, upto and including putting you in a locked up govt facility (like India/Pakistan) or a hotel that you're not allowed to leave (like Taiwan/NewZealand). Absolutely no tourists will want to go through these enforceable and real quarantines because a holiday is not being stuck in a fancy hotel jail.
May 13, 2020, 4:56 pm
#37
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 722
The US is a big place. Not everywhere is like New York City and not everyone is out protesting like the news would lead you to believe. There are huge areas of the US that have little to no Covid-19 activity. One doesn't really hear about them on the news. I just checked the latest data for my county. There have been 1600 tests, 19 positives and no deaths. A positive test rate of a little over 1% for those tested. I will say that we are doing a good job with social distancing, wearing masks, etc. Many of us do take this situation very seriously.
PS I have cancelled 3 trips that I was going to take this summer. It was sad, but it was also the right thing to do.
PS I have cancelled 3 trips that I was going to take this summer. It was sad, but it was also the right thing to do.
May 13, 2020, 4:58 pm
#38
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,094
A US Government travel ban is distinct from a state/local quarantine requirement/recommendation. The former may keep you from being legally admissible into the US, but the latter is its own issue even when/if you are legally admissible into the US.
May 13, 2020, 5:00 pm
#39
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 722
Because your states are reopening and allowing the virus to spread further. They should not be reopening.
May 13, 2020, 5:19 pm
#40
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Silicon wasteland
Programs: UA 1KMM
Posts: 1,399
2) No medical tests on arrival or departure of the flight - if there are medical tests, that runs the risk of you failing the test. Failing the test means, at best, your non-refundable holiday is ruined if you failed the test before leaving for your trip. But at worst, it could mean disaster if you failed the test say, at the flight back at the end of your holiday and are now denied boarding on the flight back home and unable to go back home to restart your job which risks losing your job.
Same as how visas and passports are fully arranged several days before the trip even starts (and then the visa/passport has to be valid for a few weeks/months so your entire trip is covered), any health tests/checks need to be several days before the trip even starts (so you can cancel and make other arrangements if you're unable to acquire the health certification), and that certification will need to be valid for the entirety of the trip for a few weeks because no one wants to risk being stranded abroad on failing the test when heading back home.
Same as how visas and passports are fully arranged several days before the trip even starts (and then the visa/passport has to be valid for a few weeks/months so your entire trip is covered), any health tests/checks need to be several days before the trip even starts (so you can cancel and make other arrangements if you're unable to acquire the health certification), and that certification will need to be valid for the entirety of the trip for a few weeks because no one wants to risk being stranded abroad on failing the test when heading back home.
Therefore, the only way I see this going down is testing, probably *both* on departure (although I could see negative test required to check in) and arrival, which is where it really matters..
Like it or not, I can't see, politically / health "theatre" speaking, countries opening borders to *everybody* (which means not US, snce we're in bad shape) without some testing requirement.
I can see a 1 day/night quarantine while test results are obtained upon arrival. The15minute tests aren't accurate enough. As long as the receiving country has enough testing capacity....
May 13, 2020, 5:48 pm
#43
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS
Posts: 15,027
I'm not sure what you mean by 'small', but meetings are being booked again in Germany. Some states are moving forward with business travel and seeing an increase in hotel demand. Niedersachsen has had hotels open in the traditionally busy Hannover market, and the 14 day quarantine was overruled in a court there. I was reading an article re 'fair's in Germany which are a main economic driver, and they are trying to find a way to hold these in a new way ie timed entry, etc. So long as the ban on Americans is lifted by then, there may well be a chance it will go ahead.
May 13, 2020, 5:50 pm
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,399
The EU will open to Chinese tourists before American tourists. The issue will be China won’t allow them to go without a 14 day quarantine on the return which will drive down numbers traveling substantially.
No country is going to welcome people from the USA until they start taking virus containment seriously. Who wants to invite the virus back into their country through tourism?
I think the “travel bubble” idea where clean countries open up between each other is going to be the wave of the future. Hopefully this means OZ/NZ will have a bubble with China/S Korea before the southern summer!
No country is going to welcome people from the USA until they start taking virus containment seriously. Who wants to invite the virus back into their country through tourism?
I think the “travel bubble” idea where clean countries open up between each other is going to be the wave of the future. Hopefully this means OZ/NZ will have a bubble with China/S Korea before the southern summer!
May 13, 2020, 5:53 pm
#45
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS
Posts: 15,027
The worst off counties are Belgium, Spain, and Italy in that order, with respect to COVID-19 deaths per capita. If the EU wants to ban Americans, they are seeking the splinter in the eye while ignoring the beam in their own.