Within the scope of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union and at a meeting organized by Portugal, several urgent implementation measures have been taken with a view to the recovery of the tourist industry. Among them and for example, the creation of demonstrative vaccination or immunity passes and / or negative tests, the widespread use of rapid tests on COVID-19 and the opening of borders, not only between Member States, but also with other destinations.
The European Union Tourism Ministers' meeting took place yesterday (01) em Lisboa, under the baton of Minister Pedro Siza Vieira and the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rita Marques.
A concerted European response will be essential for the resumption of this intersectoral economic activity, one of the most affected by the pandemic, which decisively impacts economic growth, employment and sustainable development.
Deste modo, there is an urgent need to resume the free movement of people and goods in the European Union, and Member States need to quickly find a common and coordinated solution.
One of the several suggestions presented at the meeting is the creation of digital health information tools, that enable safe travel to be boosted and relaunched, with vaccination indication, negative test or recent recovery from COVID-19 infection.
The European Commissioner responsible for Tourism, Thierry Breton, who also supported this suggestion, stated that the Commission will propose, during the current month of March, a “Digital Green Pass” so that mobility can be resumed, that many states expect to occur across Europe before May.
Another of the recommendations of this meeting is related to financial support, considered crucial not only to preserve the sector, but also to promote far-reaching modernization, in order to guarantee the leading position in Europe and tourism worldwide in the coming years.
Por sua vez, Member States asked the Commission for more flexibility in the various financial instruments to support the sector, namely at the level of the temporary support framework. Member States also mentioned the enormous contribution that tourism can and must make to Europe's recovery, contribution that should be evident in the respective PRRs.
Another of the topics addressed at the meeting and, perhaps one of the most priority, refers to the future of tourism.
Member States signaled their commitment to a concerted definition of an Agenda 2030/2050 for the sector, expressing the readiness to reinforce the sharing of good practices and cooperation, driving the green and digital transition of the tourism ecosystem and strengthening its competitiveness, resilience and sustainability.
