tourism
Brussels is thinking widely about regional border openings. There are also plans to do this in Switzerland.
There could soon be loosening at the borders.
–Felix KÄstle
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–The Federal Council is discussing the opening of borders for certain groups of people.
–Keystone / Salvatore di Nolfi
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–Among other things, this should apply to family members who have been separated from their family.
–Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller
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–Border closings are also being discussed in the rest of Europe.
–Keystone / Salvatore di Nolfi
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–The current situation is particularly fatal for the tourist industry.
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–The Confederation assumes that sales in Switzerland are currently up to 95 percent lower than in the previous year.
–Keystone / Salvatore di Nolfi
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–On Monday, the EU tourism ministers will therefore discuss the situation of the tourism industry via video conference.
–Alessandro Crinari
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The borders in Europe are tight because of Covid-19. Tourism suffers greatly from this. It is unclear how long this will stay that way. On the other hand, it is clear that the measures can only be relaxed in a coordinated manner. Brussels should therefore think about regional border openings.
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Where we will spend our summer vacation is still completely open – on balconies or on the Mediterranean? EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at least dampened expectations in early April in “Bild am Sonntag”. She advises everyone to wait with plans for the summer vacation. “At the moment, nobody can make reliable predictions for July and August.”
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Monitoring must be possible
But tourism is hardly possible without opening the border. The EU Commission therefore plans to present guidelines on this shortly. A European Commission spokesman said recently that there should be a “European approach” by the summer season.
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In its Corona roadmap, presented in mid-April, the Brussels authorities had already mentioned the first criteria that could play a role in opening the border. These include the general health situation, the possibility of monitoring and the capacities of a country’s health system.
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Regional border opening
The guidelines should therefore point in the direction that neighboring countries that meet the above-mentioned conditions can slowly open their borders to one another. However, according to its spokesman, the Commission still needs some time to develop the guidelines. But you don’t have much of it.
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Because individual EU countries have already advanced with their own ideas – such as Austria. Minister of Tourism Elisabeth Köstinger suggested that bilateral tourism agreements be concluded with other countries that, like Austria, have a low number of corona cases.
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Situation in Switzerland
In Switzerland too, considerations have been given to gradually opening up the borders.
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Minister of Justice Karin Keller-Sutter said «NZZ on Sunday»According to a possible exit strategy already developed. The Federal Council had discussed the first easing steps that could be implemented on May 11. Accordingly, certain groups of people could then re-enter. These include, for example, mechanics who have to maintain machines or family members who have been separated from their families.
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Despite this easing, the Swiss cannot be too hopeful. As Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in «Look“Said that trips abroad this summer are” only limited or not possible at all “.
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Decline in the tourism sector
Tourism is currently experiencing a massive slump worldwide due to the corona pandemic. The Confederation assumes that sales in Switzerland are currently up to 95 percent lower than in the previous year. He anticipates a drop in sales of up to 35 percent throughout the year.
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For its part, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates a 45 to 70 percent decline in the tourism sector for the western world due to corona. EU Internal Market Commissioner Therry Breton also expects up to 70 percent for the EU.
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