The Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, has participated in the high-level meeting of Ministers of Tourism of the European Union (EU) in which he urged the European Commission to accelerate the development of digital instruments for health information interoperable between States such as the vaccination certificate to facilitate mobility interrupted by the pandemic and guarantee the resumption of safe travel.
During the meeting, the minister Maroto has called for the need to advance in the adoption of common protocols in all Member States to avoid prohibitions of movement of travelers within the internal market and also with third countries, especially in the case of the United Kingdom, since coordination in this matter will be fundamental to guarantee the gradual recovery of tourism.
Reyes Maroto has defended "that the certificates are a useful and effective tool to resume mobility in a safe way", in addition, the minister has insisted that "efforts be redoubled to ensure better coordination and communication of measures related to travel at the EU level in order to avoid discriminatory measures between citizens and regain trust among travelers ”. Maroto has insisted that "it is important to have the tools ready to start mobility and return to Europe as a safe travel destination when the virus incidence data allow it".
The minister has insisted that the priority must continue to be to speed up the vaccination process to protect citizens, at the same time that she has urged the Commission to draw up a coordinated proposal to resume the free movement of people, since it will be key and will represent an important boost in support of the relaunch of travel and the tourism sector, especially affected by the mobility restriction measures.
Reyes Maroto has also asked the Commission to develop an ambitious program for the recovery of community tourism under the new budgetary framework that will allow Europe to continue to be a tourist reference throughout the world.
Finally, the Minister of Tourism has indicated that the Extension Regulation by Categories of aid compatible with the internal market should be expanded to reinforce the framework of state aid and favor schemes of aid to the solvency of tourism companies that are going to take longer than other economic sectors to recover their activity.
