Introduction
The European Union is the heart of the world. It has been a great centre of attention throughout history. Because of its unprecedented economic prowess and socio-political power that it had in the star-studded past, Europe has always been an apple of eye ubiquitously. The rich history of Europe has made it a great centre for tourism.
The tourism industry is a big giant in Europe but is facing a conundrum due to the pandemic situation. The vast spread of COVID-19 all across Europe has shattered the tourism sector as a whole. The EU is planning to revive the sector by introducing new Travel Passports that would ensure that everyone travelling is vaccinated and does not have to go through a PCR test and have to quarantine on arriving at the destination as these measures were discouraging tourism.
EU plans to introduce new vaccine passport
All the member states of the EU want to get rid of the COVD-19 related restrictions. The economic suffering of the EU member states is beyond imagination. A plethora of lives have been lost in this pandemic but the economic degradation has also been enormous in the region. The best way to overcome the crisis is to inoculate the maximum population with the vaccine.
The EU plans to vaccinate 70% of the European population by June this year. The idea is to restore and revive the tourism industry first by removing the travel restrictions after mass vaccination. EU is in the process of introducing vaccine passports. The vaccine passports would be in the form of hard copy or digital.
The passport would have a QR code on the top that would, with a mere scan, provide all the medical history of the person in thorough detail. Many EU members have already taken the initiative. Denmark had a plan to introduce vaccine passport after Easter this year.
The passport would ensure smooth movement of Danes within Denmark and also entry into restaurants, cafes, theatres, and hotels. In the same manner, Greece has also signed an agreement with Israel for Green passports.
Other EU members with a rich tourism sector like Italy, Spain, and Cyprus are also planning to utilize the vaccine certificates and passports in the best possible manner. EU’s plan for a common vaccine passport, if succeeds, would make economic rejuvenation a greater possibility.
Reservation of some EU member states and the younger generation
Some of the EU member states have reservations in the EU plan for a common vaccine passport for the whole continent. Nations like Italy, Spain, Greece, and Cyprus with a strong tourism economy have a natural inclination towards vaccine passports.
The vaccine passport ensures that the tourism industry recalibrates as there would be no PCR test on arrival and no quarantine as well. The issue lies in the fact that only persons with the age of 50 years plus are being vaccinated. This would mean that only the 50 years plus aged persons are allowed to travel around Europe.
This has been a reservation raised by the younger generation of Europe and some EU member states. The EU member states raising concern about a common vaccine passport are not sure about its success and have no interest in it as they mostly do not have strong tourism links.
On the other hand, nations like Iceland and other non-EU member states are willing to be part of the common EU vaccine passport. In simple words, all EU member states with tourism-associated economies are interested in it and want to ameliorate their economies with the revival of tourism in the region.
Conclusion
In a crux, the EU plan for a common vaccine passport is a great step towards the future of tourism in the region. The plan would halt the protocols and SOPs for a PCR test and quarantine that was leading to distorting tourism in the continent.
Nations like Italy, Spain, Greece, and Cyprus are supporting it. Whereas, some nations are against it and are doubting its success. Greece is on the verge of vaccine passport’s introduction.
Greece’s prime minister said that the ones that would not have a vaccine passport would also be allowed to enter the country but they would have to follow the SOPs of testing and a one-week quarantine.
The new travel passport is the need of the hour not only in the EU but in the whole post-pandemic world. Not only would thwart the transmission of the virus but also ensure the revival of both EU and the world’s economy, especially the tourism sector.
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