The European Union has told its 27 member nations that they should prohibit American tourists from entering the bloc because of a recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
The ban does not apply to ‘essential travel’ and it’s non-binding, which means individual E.U. countries can adopt their own policies.
“U.S. travelers should expect a mishmash of travel rules across the continent,” reports NBC News.
The Washington Post adds:
Restrictions “can vary from state to state, but it is widely expected that fully vaccinated Americans would still maintain unfettered access” to the European Union, said an E.U. diplomat who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
Still, The New York Times describes the new policy as a “fresh blow to the continent’s ailing tourism sector.” More than 15 million Americans visited Europe annually before the pandemic.
“This decision is extremely disappointing for Europe’s airlines and our ailing tourism sector, particularly given the risk of virus transmission among air travelers has proven to be extremely low,” the Airlines for Europe lobby group said in a statement Monday. “The overwhelming majority of international travelers today are either fully vaccinated, tested or recovered from the virus.”
The E.U. first lifted restrictions on American tourists in June, but COVID-19 has since made an alarming comeback in the U.S.
The U.S. still bans most European visitors. More from The Post:
Most European travelers have been barred from the United States since the start of the pandemic. President Donald Trump lifted the rules near the end of his term, but President Biden quickly reinstated them after taking office. Critics have said the ban — which is far stricter than the E.U. policy — is hurting business and keeping families divided.