As the European Union readies to resume incoming tourism activities, it appears the 27-member block will not be opening its borders to everyone.
According to a Saturday report in French daily Le Monde the EU will not allow tourists from Israel, the United States, Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia to enter, citing their troubling coronavirus infection rate.
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For travel purposes, Britain is still considered a part of the EU until it concludes its Brexit transition period, next year.
According to Le Monde, tourists from Australia, Canada, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Thailand, Uruguay, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Georgia, Montenegro, and Serbia will be allowed to visit the EU.
According to French news agency AFP, EU officials have been pushing for the creation of a list of criteria for reopening borders, saying that the bloc's member-states that are highly dependent on tourism "want to reopen ASAP for as many [countries] as possible. The others are reserved about moving fast to save an eight-weeks tourism season, however important it may be."
All non-essential travel to the EU has been barred since mid-March as part of the attempts to stem the global pandemic. Restrictions will be gradually lifted starting July 1, as the pandemic recedes – at least in Europe.
Head of the Economic Affairs Division at the Foreign Ministry Ilan Fluss told Israel Hayom that "if the current [infection] rate in Israel continues to rise it will hardly be a surprise that we won't be able to visit the EU."
He stressed that "as far as we know, the list has not been finalized and the official list [of 'red' and 'green' countries] will be released next week, but I'm not sure we'll be allowed into Europe."
Fluss stressed that any decision on the matter will be made according to each country's morbidity and mortality data – this has nothing to do with relations between countries. However, beyond the fact that we won't be able to travel abroad, this could deal a blow to the local tourism industry."
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