Where to go? Under what conditions? Under what constraints? After worrying holidaymakers this summer, these questions are now worrying business travellers, especially those planning to take part in international events. Business travel is strugglingBusiness tourism is one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic.
A number of trade fairs and congresses scheduled for the second half of the year could disappear from the 2020 calendar altogether, due to the restrictive measures in place for border crossings, as well as the prolonged absence of commercial flights between certain countries. What's more, the health situationThe economic climate, which was improving in Europe at the start of the summer, is deteriorating again in several countries, notably France. This is prompting its European neighbours and some distant countries to limit the entry of our compatriots on their territory.
2020 will undoubtedly go down in history as a major annus horribilis. In the space of a few months, Covid-19 turned the entire planet upside down, killing almost 900,000 people and plunging economies into crisis. The containment measures introduced in most countries led to an abrupt halt travel, peaking in May with a 98 % drop in international travel compared to May 2019 according to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
Particularly hard hit, aircraft manufacturers, airport operators, airlines and railways, hotel groups and other major travel agency networks quickly announced major cuts in their staffing levels in order to turn around accounts that had become red-hot. a return to normality hoped for, at best, in 2023.
While some have survived thanks to guaranteed state loans, several operators have already disappeared from the global tourism landscape: the airline Flybe, the coach operator Eurolines, the cruise operators Pullmantur and Cruise & Maritime Voyages... At global level, the UNWTO estimates that no fewer than 100 million jobs could be lost in this sector. Between January and May 2020, 300 million tourists were lost, resulting in a loss of 320 billion dollars269 billion in tourism receipts. These losses have only increased since then.
Tourist destinations, which were hoping for a gradual recovery in international tourism this summer following a post-containment decline in the pandemic, have had their work cut out for them. Leporting cases of contamination The economic downturn, combined with a slackening population and a timid resumption of European trade during the holiday season, have prompted some countries to reintroduce strict conditions for entry to their territory. Most often without consultation. Depending on the country, you have to fill in an electronic identification form within 48 hours of your arrival and indicate your place of stay, show your credentials with a PCR test that is less than 72 hours old, or do one at the arrival station or airport, or quarantine yourself... or all of the above!
Several countries have also closed their borders to prevent any resurgence of the epidemic, including Mauritius and Canada until the end of the summer, and South Africa, possibly until 2021. Further ahead in the timetable, there are reports of a Australia will reopen in spring 2021 and New Zealand in September 2021! Furthermore, while Indian consulates are once again issuing business visas, the Quai d'Orsay's France Diplomatie website states that "international trade links [still] suspended".
From mid-August onwards, French travellers, particularly residents of major cities, became persona non grata in many European countries.
For his part, entry to the United Statesaccording to White House proclamation 9993, is also "suspended" for all foreigners".who were physically in the Schengen area for 14 days prior to entering or attempting to enter the United States". It is therefore theoretically possible for a French citizen to travel to the United States if he or she has previously spent 14 days outside the Schengen area, and in a country that is not subject to travel restrictions imposed by the US government. However, the United States, like Brazil, has put itself off the tourist map as a result of its poor management of the pandemic and the flippant policies of its respective presidents towards the virus. To help you find your way around before setting off on any business trip, it is essential to consult the France Diplomatie website (Travel advice) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Few of them are currently communicating, International destinations have put aside the traditional promotional campaigns promoting their emblematic tourist sites in favour of straightforward messages providing purely informative information about their health situation and the procedures for entering their country. A necessity, since these two elements have fluctuated in recent months depending on whether or not a second wave of the epidemic has emerged in the country, or whether neighbouring countries have seen an increase in the number of cases of coronavirus. Faced with this situation, France is affected by these restrictions, introduced in mid-August by several European countries. This applies in particular to travellers coming from the new "red zones" of Ile-de-France, Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, New Aquitaine, Occitania, etc. Since the end of August, the Denmark is refusing travellers from France unless they have a "legitimate and justified reason". The Seychelles and Cyprus have done the same, while Germany requires anyone arriving from a high-risk country or zone to undergo a screening test within 72 hours and to quarantine themselves pending the result.
Even more restrictive, the United Kingdom has restored a two-week quarantine for all visitors from France, but also from Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Malta and the Czech Republic... A surprise decision at the end of the summer period which has resulted in the hasty return of hundreds of thousands of British people on holiday in France, storming airlines, Eurostar trains, Eurotunnel shuttles and other cross-Channel ferries. In addition to this, people prepared to spend 14 days in isolation must also fill in a form on the British government website to give their holiday address, contact details and other information about their travels. All in all, it's sure to put a damper on all types of travel across the Channel...
Each country is adopting protective measures in a piecemeal fashion. In this general cacophony, the European Commission is doing its best to impose a coordinated approach on the 27 Member States so as not to confuse travellers. To this end, it has even created a website, Reopen Europe (reopen.europa.eu), with the aim of defining a common framework for the measures applied to travellers from high-risk areas. Another proposal is a map with a green-orange-red colour code according to the circulation of the virus. On condition of reciprocity, the Commission is also asking Member States to gradually lift their restrictions on certain countries, including China, Japan, Canada and Australia.
However, it is still possible to find some open countries such as Portugal, Spain, Turkey and even Croatia, which have no qualms about calling themselves "safe tourist destination"According to Kristjan Stanicic, Director General of the Croatian National Tourist Office. Countries whose GDP is heavily dependent on tourism have decided to save their season by welcoming European summer visitors with open arms...
With the same objective in mind, the Dominican Republic has also streamlined its protocol, moving from a requirement to provide a negative test less than five days old to a requirement to provide a negative test less than five days old. random tests on arrival in airports. "Social distancing and the use of masks will be compulsory for the duration of the stay."However, the country's tourist office points out. The Caribbean island, which welcomed 6.5 million tourists a year before the pandemic, is going even further by granting every tourist "free of charge".an assistance plan that will include cover for emergencies, telemedicine, accommodation for extended stays and the cost of flight changes in the event of infection".
Destinations that are economically dependent on tourism remain more open and support the sector with strict health protocols and insurance to cover potential pandemic-related expenses.
Portugal's tourist office has taken the same approach by launching Portugal Travel Insurance, an insurance policy designed to cover the costs of travel in Portugal. additional travel insurance which covers expenses related to a possible coronavirus infection during the stay (medical and hospital costs, cancellation, interruption or extension costs, etc.). Turismo Portugal had already launched its "Clean & Safe" label, aimed at accommodation, restaurants, receptives and travel agencies, to attract travellers.
Will the health charters introduced by many countries, but also by hotel groups, airlines and car hire companies, be enough to restore travellers' confidence? Many companies have restricted - or even banned - business travel. and participation in MICE events to encourage virtual exchanges. "We're in a period of fear. Companies don't want to get together to avoid the creation of a cluster, which would have an impact on their business and make them look bad in terms of health."says an events agency on condition of anonymity.
In the absence of a reliable vaccine to halt the spread of the virus in the long term, international travel is likely to remain erratic, fluctuating between countries according to the health situation. Fortunately, the race is on to develop a vaccine, and the first large-scale tests have begun in several countries. But once the grail has been found, several more years so that the whole planet can benefit, depending on the production capacity of pharmaceutical laboratories. And IATA, the international air transport organisation, is already sounding the alarm in a press release, saying that nothing less will be needed "8,000 all-cargo Boeing 747s to deliver a dose of the future vaccine to everyone on the planet"..
In the meantime, distancing and barrier gestures are the order of the day, and masks are becoming de rigueur in the streets of major cities. Will business travel resume as before once the epidemic is over? Nothing is certain. The widespread use of teleworking and the rise of videoconferencing have shown that some travel is not imperative. This is all the more true given that the cost of travel could rise in order to take into account the "health and safety" expenditure incurred by governments, airports and carriers. Furthermore, flygskam, the "shame of flying", has not disappeared with the end of commercial flights. This trend is on the increase in Europe, led by the Scandinavian countries. In an effort to protect the environment and cut costs, companies may decide to limit business travel to what is strictly necessary.
