Face the demands of the short term while anticipating the medium term. While some countries like Italy are reconfining and France is wondering about the measures to be taken in the face of the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic in the Paris region, States are already thinking about how to reconcile protection and reasoned opening of their borders to tourists when the good weather returns.
Because traveling from one country to another is a challenge today. To prevent the coronavirus from playing clandestine travelers, states have put in place more or less drastic conditions for arrival or departure. Virtual closure of certain countries such as China; quarantine mandatory in others, for example in Thailand; negative PCR tests of less than 48 hours here, like Italy, or less than 72 hours there, like in Spain…
→ READ. AstraZeneca, a vaccine on hold in France and Europe
« We are not far from an anarchic situation. Each country has different requirements, sighs Jean-Pierre Mas, president of Travel Companies. It’s a headache for the few travelers who can still cross borders. “
The situation is changing
This is the case for some French people, for business trips but also for leisure trips to southern European countries such as Portugal or Greece. ” Some even go to Spain from where it is allowed to fly to the Dominican Republic, says Jean-Pierre Mas. France imposes many more restrictions on departures and, moreover, complicates the return of those who may have left. “.
For destinations outside the European Union or overseas, France de facto prohibits departures and arrivals except “Compelling reason”. This is not the case for EU countries. And anyone entering France, regardless of their origin, must present a PCR test of less than 72 hours.
However, the situation has changed in recent days. The Council of State suspended on March 12 the obligation to assert a “Compelling reason” for a French person returning from a country outside the European Union. However, the institution has maintained it for travel from or to the French Antilles in order to limit tourist flows.
The aviation sector ahead
The day before, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had, for its part, lifted this rule for travel to and from Australia, South Korea, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the Kingdom United and Singapore. Measures taken above all to facilitate the situation of expatriates.
To facilitate the return of travel, the European Commission should detail on Wednesday March 17 a proposal for a digital health certificate whose code name is “green passport”. But it is the aviation sector that is multiplying experiences on the issue. ” The stake is crucial to keep customers coming back. They both need to be reassured about the health protection offered to them and to be helped in the face of new administrative complexities. who can put them off », Notes Philippe Berland, aviation specialist at Sia Partners.
At airports, there are more and more checkpoints. ” For trips outside the European Union, the border police (PAF) checks the “compelling reason” required by the French authorities, explains one at ADP, the manager of the Paris airports. When boarding, the airlines only allow those who meet the sanitary conditions of the destination countries to board the planes. “
Congestion risks
So many risks of congestion, delays in boarding and potentially bad travel experiences while the sector fears it will take a long time to win back some of the customers.
« Normally, Air France operates up to 1,200 flights per day, explains at the headquarters of the French company which, in February, operated less than 40% of its usual program. All of these checks take a long time. In addition, some 50% of our passengers on international flights are connecting. This means that they can come from different countries with paper test certificates in any format and in any language. These documents are also quite easily falsifiable.
Digital phone application testing
Around the world, several companies are already testing digital applications for phones. The results of the examinations required by the various countries of destination are transmitted by the laboratories to the phones of individuals in the form of a QR Code readable at the checkpoints, with a possible translation.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which brings together most of the airlines, has developed this type of pass, which has started to be tested by Singapore Airlines in particular. Since March 11, Air France, in collaboration with ADP in Paris airports, has been experimenting with an application called AOK Pass (for OK Antibody) on flights to the French West Indies. New destinations are expected to be announced overnight. No question of obligation, but passengers who play the game can benefit from an easier journey.
Technological emulation
In fact, technological emulation is taking place in the world of travel and among developers and neither Air France nor ADP excludes testing other systems. AOK Pass was developed jointly by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and two companies, one specializing in certification, SGS and the other in medical services: International SOS.
« Since the start of the epidemic, we have thought about how to facilitate the scanning, securing and authentication of a person’s medical status. », Explains Arnaud Vaissié, co-founder and CEO of International SOS, which is proud to be the world leader in health assistance and risk expertise with a portfolio of companies that represents 70% of the CAC 40 and 70% of the top 100 major global groups.
Still need people to travel again
According to the latter, if Air France and other companies have chosen to test this application, it is among other things because of the network of 80,000 laboratories which collaborate with International SOS throughout the world. A guarantee of standardization and interoperability. Interoperability which should also be required between all the applications that would be used throughout the world.
In the meantime, people still have to travel again, even if they can. Jean-Pierre Mas has no doubts in the event of a reduction in the measures. ” The purchasing power of the French who could travel before has not eroded. And they’ve had enough of this leaden screed that has locked us up for a year. Even if the trips are more complicated, people will leave, he emphasizes. We saw it in the December parenthesis: flights to the West Indies were full. »
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One in three destinations closed in the world
One in three destinations in the world is still closed to international tourism, mainly in Asia and Europe, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). As of May 2020, 75% of destinations around the world were completely closed.
Global tourism receipts plummeted by € 1,089 billion in 2020 according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The number of international travelers collapsed by 74%, to one billion arrivals.
The crisis would threaten 100 to 120 million direct jobs in the sector, many of them in small and medium enterprises. Tourism represents around 10% of global GDP and nearly 15% of jobs.
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