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Agence France-Presse

From France to Greece, Europe’s top tourist destinations are gearing up to welcome visitors back this summer after the coronavirus pandemic wrecked last year’s season.
The European Commission is working on a “Digital Green Pass” that would provide proof of vaccination and Covid-19 test results, with the aim of making travel easier for people in the European Union and abroad.
The pass may be available from June, but countries are already getting ready for tourists. Here is a look at the latest situation.

France
France was the world’s top tourist destination before the pandemic, in 2019, with 90 million visitors. The government launched a multimillion-euro campaign on Tuesday to woo tourists.
Restrictions are gradually being lifted, with France’s famous cafe terraces set to reopen on May 19 along with shops, museums and theatres.
Indoor spaces in restaurants and cafes will be allowed to reopen on June 9, with a near total return to normal by the end of the month.
But new restrictions could be imposed if cases exceed 400 infections per 100,000 inhabitants.

Greece
Greece last month lifted a seven-day quarantine period for travellers from the European Union, the United States, Britain, Israel, Serbia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries.
It reopened outdoor cafes and restaurants before France, on May 3.
When having your ‘own space’ means having an entire island
Now it is hoping to make its idyllic islands Covid-19-free by giving them priority in the vaccination campaign, giving jabs to their entire adult population earlier than the rest of Greece.
Private beaches reopened last Saturday and museums were to follow suit yesterday. Outdoor cinemas will do so from May 21, although with reduced capacity, and theatres will do the same from May 28.
Cruise ships and passengers will also be welcome at Greek ports – a boon, as tourism is worth 20 per cent of Greece’s GDP, according to the World Trade and Tourism Council.

Spain
Spain was the second top tourist destination in the world, after, France in 2019, with 83.5 million visitors. Visitor numbers fell by 77 per cent last year. Tourism usually represents 14.1 per cent of Spain’s economic activity.
Madrid has been a relative refuge for European tourists as bars, museums, restaurants and theatres have been allowed to open since June 2020. Visitors only need to show a negative virus test over the previous 72 hours. Different rules apply in different regions, though.
As of last Sunday, Spaniards can travel outside their region and the country’s curfew has been lifted save for the Balearic Islands and Valencia region (where it has been raised from 10pm to midnight), pending approval by a court.
On Wednesday, Spain’s tourism minister said the country expects to welcome around 45 million foreign tourists in 2021.

Italy
Italy plans to introduce its own Covid-19 pass this month, ahead of the EU, which will allow travel to every region of the country.
The certificate will be given to people who can show they have been vaccinated, have had Covid-19, or have tested negative for the coronavirus. The document would be available to people outside the EU, said Tourism Minister Massimo Garavaglia.
Cruises have resumed at Italian ports, while bars and restaurants can serve people outside again.
Italy welcomed 64.5 million foreign visitors in 2019, according to the World Tourism Organisation.

Malta
Malta, which received 2.8 million tourists in 2019, is to offer the first 38,000 visitors €200 (US$243) towards a minimum three-night hotel stay. The sum must be spent in the country, an island in the Mediterranean, and will be increased by 10 per cent for trips to the isle of Gozo.
Malta may demand that visitors be vaccinated or show a negative Covid test before arrival if Covid-19 is not under control in their country of origin.


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Coronavirus pandemic

European destinations lure tourists with cash, unrestricted bar and restaurant visits, and Covid-19-free islands

Customers sit on the terrace of a bar in the resort city of Palma in Majorca, Spain. Photo: dpa

epa09185059 Beach goers enjoy a sunny Saturday as a moderate moderate influx of people visit the Roman Coast, on the eve of the opening weekend of the bathing season along some Italian beach resorts, in Ostia, near Rome, 08 May 2021. Specific safety rules, such as social distancing at all times, the ban of group sports and larger gatherings, are still to follow in the beach regions to minimize the risk of contagion. EPA-EFE/EMANUELE VALERI

Local residents wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, talk each other at a bus station on the Aegean island of Naxos, Greece, Tuesday, May 11, 2021. A vaccination program for Greek islands is being accelerated to cover all local residents by the end of June, the government has announced ahead of the launch of the tourism season. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

People sit at an outdoor restaurant as restaurants and markets reopened for business after coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccinations reached 60% of the adult population, in Valletta, Malta May 10, 2021. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

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SINGAPORE - JUNE 19:  A general view of the Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum, the Singapore Flyer and the central business district on June 19, 2020 in Singapore. Today, Singapore starts to further ease the coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions by allowing social gatherings up to five people, re-opening of retail outlets and dining in at food and beverage outlets, subjected to safe distancing. Parks, beaches, sports amenities and public facilities in the housing estates will also reopen. However, large scale events, religious congregations, libraries, galleries and theatres will remain closed.  (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)

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Lifestyle

Travel & Leisure

Coronavirus

Economic Impact

Europe


Cafe terraces in France reopen soon and indoor dining resumes in June, while Greece hopes to make its islands Covid-19-free through a vaccination campaign
Malta will give its first 38,000 visitors US$243 towards their hotel stay. The European Union is preparing a digital green pass for vaccinated tourists



From France to Greece, Spain, Italy and Malta, Europe’s tourist destinations look to welcome visitors back with offers of cash towards their stay, and the reopening of bars and restaurants.
