Portugal seeks to avoid summer visitor quarantines 'at all costs'
19 April, 2021
Portugal will do its better to avoid visitors needing to enter quarantine on arrival come early july, its tourism Minister said on Wednesday, as Europe moves towards a Covid-19 passport to restart the travel industry.
Rita Marques told an online conference that the country would try "no matter what to avoid quarantines and extra Covid-19 tests" if the travel pass plan went ahead.
Tourism-dependent Portugal holds the rotating EU presidency and is in charge of negotiating the new pass with member states.
It could allow international travel to be freed up, regardless of the bloc's sluggish vaccination campaign and the risks posed by new coronavirus variants.
Ms Marques said that, while this summer would not be "completely normal", Portugal would "certainly bet on maintaining the essential principles of free movement of individuals and goods".
Portugal's once-booming tourism sector suffered its worst year because the mid-1980s in 2020 as the pandemic and lockdowns worldwide grounded flights and kept visitors away.
Portuguese hotels consider Brexit to be another tough obstacle because Britain is among its main markets.
Direct flights to and from countries beyond your EU, including Britain, are suspended until May 17.
"Portugal is still identifying many conditions that need special care due to Brexit however the Portugal brand is strong, particularly among the British," Ms Marques said.
"The UK will stay the leading outbound country."
Between the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and February this year, Portuguese hotel revenues fell 74 % to €1.1 billion ($1.32bn) as tourist numbers slumped 71 %, official data shows.
Source: www.thenationalnews.com
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