Brits, much like other sun deprived Northern Europeans, are getting itchy feet in their desperation for a getaway and a bit of vitamin D. As Croatia’s epidemiological picture is so favourable, more talks are underway which could provide a much needed boost to Croatian tourism this year.
Media updates from UK (June 27)
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 24th of June, 2020, British ministers are in talks with the leaders of six other European countries to establish ”air bridges” for British tourists looking to spend their holidays abroad, the Guardian has learned. The British, among others, are negotiating with Croatia.
The key to the story is to allow tourists from the United Kingdom to come to countries with a low prevalence of coronavirus infections and be able to return home without having to go into self-isolation or quarantine.
In addition to Croatia, British ministers are negotiating with Spain, Italy, Greece, France and Turkey, and the possibility of an agreement with Germany and Austria is being discussed. In Britain, they hope that the negotiations will be completed by Monday, when the United Kingdom, otherwise the worst affected country in Europe, is set to announce a new set of mitigation measures.
A source from the British Government told the Guardian that when they were compiling the list of countries, they only looked at the percentage of infection per 100,000 inhabitants. Australia, for example, was also considered, but in the end the choice fell only on the Mediterranean countries which have always been a traditional favourite for British holiday makers due to their close proximity and being on the same continent.
”Air bridges will be strictly monitored and this plan is a priority for the British Government at the moment, there’s no doubt about it,” a source from the British Government told the Guardian.
However, the popular British newspaper warns that the European Commission (EC) said a few months ago that the opening of such corridors could be subject to discrimination and that the rules must be the same for all countries that have a similar epidemiological situation.
In any case, the British choice eventually fell on the Mediterranean countries, and the reason is more than clear – overseas destinations require transfers in countries where the epidemiological situation is much more serious.
”There was talk about Singapore and Bermuda, but in the end the decision was made to focus on here in Europe,” it was claimed.
For now, it is known that this idea is strongly supported by Transport Minister Grant Shapps, who spoke extensively about passenger corridors last week.
”We’ve been working for some time on establishing ‘air bridges’ or, more precisely, passenger corridors,” he said at a press conference held in Downing Street, and his deputy, Jim McMahon, publicly said that the rule of 14 days quarantine upon return must be abolished, according to Jutarnji list.
For more on Croatian tourism, follow our travel page.
