In what would be a huge boon to European hoteliers, Americans who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to visit the European Union this summer, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday.
Von der Leyen did not offer a timeline on when exactly tourist travel might open up to all 27- member states or details on how it would occur, according to the report.
“The Americans, as far as I can see, use European Medicines Agency-approved vaccines,” von der Leyen told the Times in an interview. “This will enable free movement and the travel to the European Union.”
In response to the news, Simon Vincent, executive vice president and president, Europe, MIddle East and Africa, for Hilton told HOTELS, “In a typical year more Americans travel to our hotels in Europe than any other source market. The news that Europe could welcome vaccinated U.S. travellers provides a considerable boost for the industry and could kickstart a meaningful economic recovery. Coupled with accelerating vaccination programs around the world, the threat of a lost summer for tourism in Europe is waning.”
A Marriott spokesperson told HOTELS, “This is certainly a welcomed development as we all look forward to traveling again and we cannot wait to welcome American travelers at our European Union hotels. Until we have more details from the governments, it is too soon to comment further.”
The Times reported there are ongoing discussions between U.S. and EU officials on how to recognize fully vaccinated travelers, whether with a so-called vaccine passport or a certification of some sort.
The European Union halted all non-essential travel to the bloc more than a year ago in an attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 28.5% of U.S. citizens (over 94 million people) have been fully vaccinated, with 42.2% (almost 140 million) having received at least one dose of a vaccine.
The U.S. currently outpaces the EU in terms of vaccinations, with 128 million doses having been administered to 21% of the EU population as of Saturday, according to the AFP news agency.