US tourists will soon be able to visit EU countries as commission chief discusses possibility of resuming leisure travel

Washington, April 26 2021: European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says tourists from the US who have been inoculated against COVID 19 will soon be allowed to visit Europe. She shared these views while being interviewed by the New York times on Sunday.

The timeline is not yet certain but according to the New York Times, the new rules will be applicable by the coming summer. She said the US was using Moderna, Pfizer/BionTech and Johnson and Johnson vaccines which are all approved by the European Medicines Agency, and all countries within the bloc must also use EMA approved vaccines only so this will make it easier to enable more free movement and access to EU destinations.

The facts that the US has successfully implemented the initial stages of the vaccine roll out, is on track on its inoculation targets and is in talks on how to use vaccination certificates for travel are the reasons for the EU chief to allow leisure travel from the US to EU countries. The huge progress the US had made so far and its commitment to reaching 70% adult population by June were lauded by von der Leyen.

She said even though the epidemiological situation is dynamic, it is improving in the US and also the EU and so the resumption of travel is a very real possibility this summer.

When the pandemic spread through the globe, most nations shut down their borders for leisure travel thereby devastating the tourism industry on the continent. There is hope however, as eager to revive its badly hit tourism industry, Greece recently announced it would now allow  EU countries and 5 others to enter Greece without quarantine on arrival. The country has also upped its vaccination efforts in hopes of building immunity amongst its residents, while the EU is weighing the possibility of a vaccine travel passport.

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