When it comes to Europe US travel, the question on everyone’s lips is, “When comes reciprocity?”
France has been welcoming tourists since June 9. But for French travelers wanting to board a flight to the United States, the light is still red. Except for US citizens and residents.
The lack of reciprocity is not being lost on many. Among them are the 11,000 people who align with the #LoveIsNotTourism online movement.
“Please give us good news this week,” tweeted one on Monday. “Reopen transatlantic travel.”
Critics point out the absurdity of a situation that sees non-vaccinated travelers from 160 countries currently flying to the US – but not vaccinated Europeans.
The largest international airline association dedicated to passengers agrees.
“A European national may fly to a nation with much higher COVID-19 infection rates, wait for 14 days, and then enter the United States after testing,” says Dr. Joe Leader. He’s CEO of the New York-based Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX).
For some, the double standards hit a peak with the images of Kamala Harris’s stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, on a yacht in southern France last month.
“Looks like we are not all equal in the end,” another user tweeted.
“While VP’s daughter went to France, we can’t leave the USA because of the travel ban. Our vaxxed parents can’t come to see their grandchildren. The hypocrisy is outstanding.”
After 18 months of US Europe travel bans, many hundreds of hearts have been broken and lives shattered.
Europe US Travel: Still No Timeline on US Border Re-opening for Europeans
All those signposts – yet no flights in sight. Time, at last, to lift the US Europe travel ban and let people get packing, in both directions across the Atlantic.
Meanwhile, frustration in Europe and the US among long-split couples is escalating. Likewise, for European business and leisure travelers, of course, wanting to head to the US.
The lack of certainty on a timeline for border reopening continues to play havoc. Couples and families have been torn apart for up to 18 months. People have missed births, marriages, deaths, funerals – and months and months of their lives together.
They are being denied basic human rights in my mind – for no logical reason. It’s time to move on from blanket bans – well and truly. The kind of scenario played out in #loveisnottourism tweets (and over and over) is heartbreaking – if you have a heart.
Let’s hope sense and fairness prevail soon. The former POTUS promised a change on his travel ban and US border policy last May. Now, 15 months down the line, many more hearts have been broken and lives shattered.
The pressure is mounting on him from airlines and others for that to happen.
(Here’s my latest story on this issue as the US re-closes its borders to Canadians).
