Restoring faith in travel and tourism after a long halt, a number of destinations in Europe are resuming the operations in several hotels and restaurants. The outbreak of COVID-19 forced almost the entire world to shut down for months, taking a significant toll on the economies across the world.
In terms of arrivals, Europe accounts for a large part of the global tourism market which has been greatly affected due to the travel restrictions. Cities that were normally crowded has been deserted for months while the countries fought hard to contain the virus. During the early weeks of May, the European Union unveiled an action plan to resume travel and tourism safely, preparing to reopen its international borders. In spite of recommendations in place to all member nations, European Union restricts non-essential visitors from outside. However, as the situation changes for the better with time, restrictions for outsiders may change.
We all need a break, especially after this confinement. We want to enjoy summer holidays, we would like to see our families and friends even if they live in another region, in another country. But we want to be able to do so while staying healthy and safe because we know the virus will stay with us for some time.”
Thierry Breton, Internal Market Commissioner at the European Union
Italy, being one of the most impacted by the pandemic, contained the virus with time and has partially resumed operations of hotels and restaurants in some regions. In addition to Italy, Spain also partially restarted hotels and restaurants across some regions.
While countries including Portugal, Germany, Greece, and Austria has opened restaurants, preparations are in place to resume the operations of hotels by the end of may and the beginning of June. France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Netherlands, and Romania have also opened the doors of hotels across the countries. However, restaurants are yet to open within the month of June. On 25th May 2020, Czech Republic and Luxembourg resumed operations of hotels and restaurants as well.
With the resumption of hospitality sector across Europe, several health and safety measures are in place to ensure that the people are safe and adhering to the advice of the governments and health authorities. This brings faith to all affected by this unprecedented global crisis and slowly build the economies that has been greatly affected.
