Some destinations, including the Seychelles, Cyprus and Romania, have already raised quarantine requirements for visitors who can prove they are vaccinated. Others, such as Iceland and Hungary, have opened up to people who have recovered from Covid-19.
This raises the possibility that the inoculation or immunity test may be the golden ticket to restart travel and seems like good news for people looking to book a summer vacation after months of lockdowns, especially as the vaccine launches increase the pace.
They could open restaurants, bars, cinemas and other leisure and entertainment facilities whose closure over the last year has left many borders on the brink of financial ruin, or already a victim of it.
Technology companies like IBM are also trying to get into practice, developing applications for smartphones or digital wallets where individuals can post details of Covid-19 tests and vaccines. These are gaining support from the major players in the travel industry.
This week, Zurab Pololikashvili, the secretary-general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, called for the global adoption of vaccination passports as part of the broader measures he said were essential to re-launch the world is marching.
“Vaccine deployment is a step in the right direction, but the resumption of tourism cannot wait,” he told a meeting of the UNWTO World Tourism Crisis Committee in Madrid. “Vaccines need to be part of a broader, coordinated approach that includes certificates and passes for safe cross-border travel.”
“Top priority”
But the concept of immunity passports remains deeply controversial and anyone operating there during a 2021 summer vacation could be disappointed.
While there is a strong argument that globally recognized inoculation documentation could help reconnect the planet, there are still fears about what protection they offer, how they can be mistreated and what it means for those still waiting for leaks.
There are also questions about whether they would be mandatory for any trip and how personal data would be shared securely.
This week, calls from several European countries to create an internationally recognized vaccination certificate prompted the European Union to debate the measure, although the deadly waves of Covid-19 continue to sweep the continent.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in early January, stressing that the need for this universally accepted documentation was a “fundamental priority for all”.
“While we will not make vaccination mandatory or a prerequisite for travel, vaccinated people should travel freely,” Mitsotakis wrote. “This will provide a positive incentive to ensure that citizens are encouraged to get vaccinated, which is the only way to ensure a return to normalcy.”
In the late summer of 2020, some borders were opened in the EU, which allowed tourists to seek a dose of sunshine and tourism-dependent countries to make up for some losses. There are fears that without free movement in 2021, the economic impact could be disastrous.
These reasons have been welcomed with caution by other EU members.
Discussing the issue in Brussels on Thursday, they agreed on the need for cross-border cooperation on vaccine certificates, but were concerned that using them to allow travel could cause unvaccinated people to be treated as second-class citizens. .
This could lead to situations where restaurants or bars require vaccination testing of customers seeking a glass of wine or travel companies preventing access to their services to the unvaccinated.
Vaccine unknowns
It’s something that’s already being seen, as airlines like Qantas in Australia and companies like Saga Cruises in the UK insist that only vaccinated travelers will be able to make international trips.
Von der Leyen told the EU parliament on Thursday that there were concerns about the unknowns of the vaccine, such as whether inoculated people could transport and transmit the coronavirus and how long the protection lasts.
“And then the political issue,” he added. “How do you ensure that you respect the rights of those who have not had access to a vaccine and what alternatives do you offer to those who have legitimate reasons for not receiving the vaccine?”
Earlier this month, the World Health Organization expressed concerns about balancing the need to reopen borders with equity to allow inoculated people to trot the world, while others continue to suffer from blockade and the risk of infection. .
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, said last week that he was skeptical about the divisive effect vaccine passports could have.
“There are two urgent issues that need special attention and for which we ask for your advice today,” he said at a meeting of the WHO emergency committee. “The first is the recent emergence of new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus; and the second is the potential use of vaccination certificates and tests for international travel.
“One issue unites both problems: solidarity. We cannot afford to prioritize or punish certain groups or countries.
“Too soon” to book
These inequalities, of course, have already been a feature of current travel restrictions.
The exclusive resorts in the Maldives, for example, have been open to everyone for several months, although the high price and the current current price of getting there restrict access to all but the rich.
But even as the debate over how to implement, control, and enforce immunity certification (if any) continues, the problem may remain debatable for those looking to plan a getaway in the summer of 2021.
In the UK, the first country to start vaccinating, infection rates continue to gallop despite tightening restrictions since late December, prompting government officials to warn that international holidays remain uncertain this summer.
Matt Hancock, the UK’s health minister, said on Monday it was “too early” to book travel before September, when most people should be vaccinated. He advised British citizens to plan a holiday at home.
Even that can be optimistic. With major events on the British calendar, such as the 2021 Glastonbury Festival, which have already been canceled due to ongoing uncertainties, there is a real possibility that a summer holiday at home will also be canceled.
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