“In general, it is preferable, as much as possible, to postpone your planned trips to the United States (including cruises), given the evolution of the Coronavirus Covid-19 epidemic and of these new measures ”. This message, published on the website of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs updated on June 26, is not about to disappear. Because if the US administration is working to lift the restrictions, it has not yet provided any date to its European counterparts.
Holidays across the Atlantic for the French are therefore compromised, while the destination is experiencing renewed interest. In 2018, before the crisis, 1.7 million French people went to the United States, up 6% compared to 2017, noted the commercial service of the American Embassy quoted by tourmag.com.
But for now, caution is still required. “We look forward to being able to restore travel as fully and quickly as possible. I can’t fix a date, we have to be guided by science, by medical expertise ”, said Antony Blinken at a press conference in Paris alongside his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian. A postponement which could also continue further with the resurgence of the Delta variant which worries several countries, including Australia but also Portugal.
Since January 25, President Biden has restored the “travel ban“, or the entry ban on the territory for all non-American citizens coming from the Schengen area, including France. Exceptions on presentation of proof are possible. This “travel ban“is also in force, since different dates, for South Africa, Brazil, China, India and Iran.
EU-US relationship weighs 42% of global GDP
But its prolongation in time begins to worry economic circles. Across the Atlantic, employers are urging the White House to immediately lift the travel restrictions imposed on Europeans, while investments from the Old Continent collapsed by nearly a third last year.
Conversely, the countries of the European Union have decided to reopen their own borders to Americans, on condition that they are vaccinated against Covid-19 or present a negative test.
The American Chamber of Commerce took up the torch on Friday by criticizing the lack of reciprocity, and urged the government to allow the return of European travelers “as soon as possible”.
European Union Ambassador to the United States Stavros Lambrinidis told AFP that Brussels “pressured“to achieve reciprocity, also emphasizing economic imperatives.
“In-person business engagements and international tourism will help spur economic growth and job creation for Americans across the country.”, argued the American Chamber of Commerce.
During Joe Biden’s visit to Europe last week, the EU had already recalled that the EU / US economic partnership was the largest bilateral trade relationship in the world, representing no less than 42% of global GDP and of world trade in goods and services.
What did not convince the American president to precipitate the return of the Europeans to the United States.
Beyond trade, it is the huge investments that are at stake.
“Mutual investments (…) are the real backbone of the transatlantic economy”, note the authors of the 2021 report on the transatlantic economy co-produced by the American Chamber of Commerce, AmCham EU, Johns Hopkins University and the Wilson Center.
Europe continued to account for over 60% of foreign direct investment flowing into the United States during the first three quarters of 2020.
But by annualizing this data, these investments fell to $ 81 billion in 2020 from $ 120 billion in 2019, a decrease of 32.5%.
Airlines are stepping up
For their part, the airlines insist that traveling by plane remains safe.
“Numerous scientific studies have validated that air travel has a low risk of transmission“said a spokesperson for United Airlines.
“And as the vaccine becomes more widely available, now is the time to implement a reopening strategy to benefit both the economy and the traveling public.”, she added.
Sign that United believes in the imminent reopening of the American borders: the company has added flights to destinations such as France, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Iceland, Portugal.
(with AFP and Reuters)
