EU countries call for coordinated Covid testing

Tourism ministers from Austria, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain have called for a coordinated approach to help save the estimated 22 million jobs in EU countries dependent on tourism.

The motion, put forward at a virtual meeting of EU tourism ministers, was welcomed by the World Travel & Tourism Council.

WTTC president and chief executive Gloria Guevara said: “We applaud the call for establishing standardised criteria for risk areas and coordinated measures in the control of the departure and arrival of travellers, providing mutually recognised tests, with the overall aim to avoid indiscriminate measures such as quarantines and travel restrictions.

“We are deeply encouraged that ministers representing key tourism markets recognise that while each member state is responsible for its own response to control the pandemic, a European-wide coordinated approach is critical, to preserve the freedom of movement between all member states, while at the same time protecting public health.

“Now is the moment to act – to allow EU citizens to travel again.

Spanish tourism minister Reyes Maroto led the motion. “We hope more governments will consider a similar approach, to speed up the recovery and bring back millions of jobs to our sector,” said Guevara.