To revive tourism and help travelers, the European Union has launched “Re-open EU”. This platform brings together all the essential information for safe travel in the Schengen area.
The European Union (EU) has just put online an interactive map, called Re-open EU, to revive tourism in the Schengen area. It is the Commission which is at the initiative of this new platform, the objective of which is ” to safely ensure the re-establishment of free movement and the resumption of tourist activity in the EU “. The site is translated into 24 languages.
Real-time information
” Aimed at helping citizens to confidently plan their trips and vacations during the summer and beyond, this platform will provide real-time information on borders, available means of transport, travel restrictions, public health and safety measures (for example, physical distancing or wearing a face mask) », Explains the Commission in its press release.
The use is very simple: you select the country in which you plan to travel. The planisphere appears, with the country in question colored either in green, red or yellow. Unsurprisingly, the more we tend towards red … the less it is safe. The territories that appear in beige simply do not belong to the Schengen area and are therefore not listed on this map.
One click, all the info
Once you have selected the country you are interested in, on the right side, an information bar explains in detail under what conditions you can travel (or not) in said territory.
Travel, services and health / safety
The data is broken down into three components: travel, services and health / safety. Each tab is subdivided into ten tablets. Each is then classified according to the general color code mentioned above. On the travel side, the site answers, for example, the question: can I travel to this country? Yes – the country is green. Yes, with prescription – the country is in yellow. No – the country is in red. Currently, no country in the area is inaccessible. For the rest, there are 18 countries with restricted access (yellow) and 10 free access (green). Among other things, the site also answers the following questions:
– Can I move freely in this country? ;
– Can I enter this country without a medical certificate, for example a negative examination? ;
– Can I enter this country without being subject to compulsory quarantine? ;
– What mode of transport is allowed to enter the country?
For each country, as far as possible, the information is intended to be exhaustive. The explanatory leaflet details, depending on the badge selected, the modalities which may be different from country to country. In the case of Spain, in yellow as shown in the image above, ” a 14-day quarantine is mandatory, with a few exceptions, for all travelers arriving in Spain, regardless of their country of origin “. The text specifies until July 1, 2020.
On the services side, the whole area is tending towards green since it is a question of knowing, for example, whether non-essential stores or museums are open. Be careful in the French case, the Louvre will only reopen its doors on July 6 and not on June 16 as mentioned on the site – which is not free of typos. From June 16, you can nevertheless book online on the museum’s website -condition sine qua non to enter the Louvre.
Regular updates
Finally, on the health / safety aspect, only France appears in red due to the rebound of the pandemic, particularly in Guyana and Mayotte. Spain remains in beige. The information is obviously unavailable. But, the Commission promises to update the site very regularly. If the tool is reassuring, the interactive map nevertheless invites us to remain vigilant during our travels.
However, the stakes are high since according to theWorld Tourism Organization, the EU welcomed 713 million international visitors in 2017 (who left their country of residence to go to another country to spend at least one night) in tourist-type accommodation and for reasons other than professional. This figure represents 50% of the world total, including European tourists traveling to another European country.
Source: Re-open UE