2 June 2021: The Tourism Manifesto Alliance recognises that the Regulation on “EU Digital COVID Certificate’ will help to restore freedom of movement: a fundamental principle and one of Europe’s greatest achievements. This tool will greatly facilitate cross-border travel, also allowing Europeans to reconnect with families and friends and do business in person after months of lockdowns and restrictions. 

As a common EU instrument, the “Digital COVID Certificate” (DCC) will provide convenient proof that the holder has either been vaccinated against COVID-19, recovered from the virus, or received a negative test result. 

The Alliance urges Member States to ensure swift and effective implementation of the Certificate by 1st July 2021 at the latest, and refrain from imposing additional travel restrictions on certificate holders (testing or quarantine), in line with the agreement reached between the EU Institutions. The travel and tourism stakeholders stress that any delay will undermine the chances of a successful recovery: sectoral resilience is at its limit. 
 
 While the Alliance is confident that the DCC will support reopening, to increase the chance of success, urgent agreement and coordination among Member States is still required on the following:
•    Common time limits for COVID-19 testing requirements (such as <24hrs prior for antigen test, <72hrs for PCR test);
•    A harmonised minimum age for children at which a COVID-19 test is required, helping families to plan their trips;
•    No additional requirements on transit passengers in transportation hubs;
•    Swift adoption of the European Digital Passenger Locator Form (dPLF) which should be linked to the DCC to improve efficiency when boarding passengers and avoiding long queues at transport hubs. 
 
These measures would help restore confidence in cross-border travel, and guarantee a smooth experience for travellers exercising their freedom of movement. 
 

Read more about the Tourism Manifesto here: tourismmanifesto.eu [1]

European Commission proposes a Digital Green Certificate, 17 March 2021, read more here [2]