Some destinations – including Seychelles, Cyprus and Romania – have already lifted quarantine requirements for visitors who can prove they have been vaccinated. Others, such as Iceland and Hungary, have opened up to people who have recovered from Covid-19.
This gives the chance that proof of vaccination or immunity could be the golden ticket to start traveling again and seems like good news for those looking to book summer vacations after months of lockdown, especially as the introduction of vaccines is gaining momentum.
They could open the restaurants, bars, cinemas and other leisure and entertainment facilities whose closure in the past year has left many teetering on the brink of – or already falling victim to – financial ruin.
Technology companies like IBM are also trying to get in on the game by developing smartphone apps or digital wallets in which individuals can upload details of Covid-19 tests and vaccinations. These are supported by major players in the travel industry.
This week, Zurab Pololikashvili, the Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, called for the global approval of vaccination passports as part of broader measures he believes were essential to get the world moving again.
“The roll-out of vaccines is a step in the right direction, but the restart of tourism cannot wait,” he told a meeting of the UNWTO’s Global Tourism Crisis Committee in Madrid. “Vaccines should be part of a broader, coordinated approach that includes certificates and passes for safe cross-border travel.”
‘Fundamental priority’
But the concept of immunity passports remains highly controversial, and anyone relying on them for a summer vacation in 2021 may be disappointed.
While there is strong argument that globally recognized inoculation documentation could help reconnect the planet, fears remain about what protections they actually afford, how they could be misused, and what it means for those who are still waiting on pricks.
Questions also remain as to whether they would become mandatory for travel and how personal information would be securely shared.
Calls from several European countries to create an internationally recognized certificate of vaccination this week prompted the European Union to debate the measure, even as deadly Covid-19 waves continue to plague the continent.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier in January, stressing that the need for such universally accepted documentation was a “fundamental priority for all of us”.
“While we are not going to make vaccination mandatory or a condition for travel, people who have been vaccinated should be able to travel freely,” Mitsotakis wrote. “This will be a positive incentive to ensure that citizens are encouraged to undergo vaccination, which is the only way to ensure a return to normalcy.”
During the late summer of 2020, some borders opened up within the EU, allowing holidaymakers to seek a dose of sunshine and tourism-dependent countries to recoup some losses. There is a fear that without free movement in 2021 the economic impact could be disastrous.
Such pleas have been met with caution by other EU members.
They discussed the issue in Brussels on Thursday and agreed that there is a need for cross-border cooperation on vaccine certifications, but were concerned that using it to facilitate travel could result in unvaccinated people being treated as second-class citizens.
That could lead to scenarios where restaurants or bars require proof of vaccination from customers looking for a glass of wine or see tour companies banning the unvaccinated from access to their services.
Vaccine unknowns
It’s already being seen, with airlines such as Australia’s Qantas and companies like Britain’s Saga Cruises insisting that only vaccinated passengers should be allowed to travel internationally.
Von der Leyen told the EU parliament on Thursday that there were concerns about unknown vaccinations, such as whether the indicted could still carry and transmit the coronavirus and how long the protection will last.
“And then the political issue,” she added. “How do you ensure that you respect the rights of those who do not have access to a vaccine, and what alternatives do you provide to those who have legitimate reasons not to receive the vaccine?”
Concerns about the balance between the need to reopen borders and the fairness of running those vaccinated around the world while others continue to endure lockdown and the risk of infection were voiced by the World Health Organization earlier this month.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director general, said last week that he was skeptical about the divisive effect of vaccine passports.
“There are two urgent issues that require special attention, and we are seeking your advice today,” he told a meeting of the WHO emergency committee. “The first is the recent emergence of new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus; and the second is the potential use of vaccination and testing certificates for international travel.
“One theme connects both issues: solidarity. We cannot afford to prioritize or punish certain groups or countries.
‘Too early’ to book
Such inequalities are, of course, already a feature of current travel restrictions.
For example, the Maldives’ exclusive resorts have been open to everyone for several months, although the high price tag and current premium price to get there limits access to everyone except the wealthy.
But even as the debate continues on how to implement, monitor and enforce immunity certification – if at all – the problem may not yet exist for those planning a getaway for the summer of 2021.
In the UK, the first country to start vaccinations, infection rates continue to gallop despite tighter restrictions in place since late December, prompting government officials to warn that international vacations remain uncertain this summer.
Matt Hancock, the UK’s health minister, said on Monday that it was “too early” to book a trip before September. The majority of the population should have been vaccinated by then. He advised British citizens to plan a homegrown vacation instead.
Even this may be optimistic. Since major events on the UK calendar, such as the Glastonbury Festival in 2021, have already been canceled due to ongoing uncertainties, there is a chance that a summer holiday at home will also be canceled.
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