Vaccinated Travelers Can Visit Europe
By Heidi Sarna.
The New York Times reports that vaccinated travelers can visit Europe, with the announcement yesterday that the EU (European Union) “has reached an agreement on entry criteria for tourists who have had their shots and for those from ‘safe’ countries. The changes could come into effect as early as next week.”
While the COVID19 pandemic continues to effect different parts of the world in different ways, things are looking up for travelers from the United States and other countries deemed “safe.” The EU news of its borders reopening to vaccinated Americans and other travelers is a game changer, potentially, for eager travelers and travel companies.
Companies like Viking are already planning to restart river cruises in Europe in July, with itineraries in Portugal, France and on the Rhine. This follows Viking’s launch of its Welcome Back voyages exclusively for vaccinated guests in England, Iceland, Bermuda and the Mediterranean.
“The response to our initial Welcome Back ocean voyages has been overwhelmingly positive. It is clear that many people are eager to get back out into the world, and I would like to thank all of our destination partners for their support as we plan our return to service,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “We have been delighted to greet our first guests back on board in England this week — and we are looking forward to welcoming travelers back on board some of our European river vessels in July.”
Porto at sunset. * Photo: Viking Cruises
Small Ship Cruising Already Restarted
Small-ship cruising has already been restarted in America, with small-ship lines like UnCruise making a splash with multiple ships cruising in Southeast Alaska.
Other small-ship lines like Lindblad Expeditions have confirmed plans to head back to the Galapagos.
RELATED: New Small Ships from Silversea & Celebrity in the Galapagos. By Anne Kalosh
A giant tortoise in the Galapagos. * Photo: Lindblad Expeditions
In March, river cruise lines including American Cruise Lines and American Queen Steamboat Co, started up operations on the Mississippi and other rivers in the USA.
RELATED: John Roberts spends a week on the Mississippi aboard the new American Countess.
More from the New York Times
An excerpt from the article …
“The European Union agreed on Wednesday to reopen its borders to visitors who have been fully vaccinated with an approved shot and to those coming from a list of countries considered safe from a coronavirus perspective, permitting broader travel just in time for the summer tourism season.
Ambassadors from the 27 member states of the European Union endorsed a plan that would allow visits from tourists and other nonessential travelers, who have been mostly barred from entering the bloc for more than a year.
The move has been seen as an economic imperative for tourism-dependent countries such as Greece and Spain, and it has been months in the works. Other E.U. nations that are less reliant on tourists for jobs and income, particularly in northern Europe, had been eager to maintain higher barriers for nonessential visitors to keep the coronavirus at bay. But they relented as vaccinations advanced and after they were promised the ability to reverse course if cases surge again.” — READ rest of article here.
New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/19/world/europe/eu-vaccinated-visitors-travel.html
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HEIDI SARNA
