The European Commission outlined on Wednesday steps aimed at reviving the struggling tourism and airline industries brought to a halt by the coronavirus.
Tourism accounts for almost 10% of the region’s GDP, with some 267 million Europeans, or two thirds of the population, making at least one private trip per year, it said.
Here are the guidelines for hotels and companies in the hospitality sector.
Companies should:
* put in place measures to ensure physical distancing in communal areas where guests are likely to gather for longer than 15 minutes;
* allocate slots or arrange a digital booking system for meal times or visits to pools or gyms;
* find alternative measures to protect guests and workers, such as the use of glass or plastic teller panels, masks, when social distancing cannot be maintained;
* apply a distance of 1.5 to 2 meters in communal areas except for people travelling together and sharing rooms, in addition to other measures such as masks where this is not possible;
* make sure physical distancing is in place in outdoor areas, such as beaches, pools, cafés, bars and restaurants;
* implement strict hygiene measures in indoor areas such as spas and pools;
* consider whether special facilities, including childcare facilities, should remain closed;
* postpone larger scale events like concerts.
(Reuters)
Pictured: European Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson and European Commissioner for Transport Adina-Ioana Valean attend a news conference on the strategic orientations of the European Tourism and Transport Package at European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, May 13, 2020. Olivier Hoslet/Pool via REUTERS
