This week brings good news about the COVID-19 situation in Europe with the number of new infections declining on the whole, and the actions of governments implementing the right steps to keep the situation under control appear to be effective. Close monitoring and careful tracking of test results should result in the sustained decline of infected patients, lower rate of hospitalization and fatalities.
Good news
And as the good news is shared, more Dutch people are eager to plan their summer vacations. While about one third of the traveling population are looking for opportunities to travel within the country, the majority are interested in cross-border travel, either by car or potentially also by plane if travel restrictions will be relaxed further. Currently the Dutch government is not allowing unnecessary border crossing. While other sectors of the industry continue to reopen including campgrounds, allowing for groups of more than 10 people to gather, following social distancing guidelines.
Waiting for Belgium
As Dutch travelers look to expand their travels around the continent, it is important for Belgian borders to announce their opening. Belgium is an important neighboring country as it’s the pathway for holiday travelers to reach destinations in France, Spain and Portugal. Belgium has entered their second phase of reopening plans, but salons, restaurants and cafés are not back in business yet. Reports are though these businesses might begin to open in early June.
Opening borders EU
Elsewhere in the EU, countries like Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Germany and France are planning to reopen their borders either on June 15 or by the end of June. And Transavia recently announced the return of regularly scheduled flights to six destinations in Greece, Spain and Portugal beginning June 4th. The popular summer holiday destination of Italy appears to be in much less demand this year, while Iceland is gaining popularity by promoting their wide open nature, low amount of Covid-19 casualties and a well-respected contact tracing program for travelers entering into the country. These overall positive reports have been encouraging for our travel industry and for all of us as we look forward to the summer season and hope that this bit of good news helps you to remain optimistic, too!
