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The tourism business has long been asking for concessions in the direction of the transport of Lithuanians on vacation and that those countries be treated as regions. For example, in some Greek, Spanish and Portuguese islands, the COVID-19 morbidity rate is even lower than in Lithuania.
Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis commented positively on this opportunity a few weeks ago. “We also discussed the possibility of distinguishing safe islands from states that are considered affected if we take their entire territory. We are inclined to make that decision to facilitate the conditions for the tourism business, but we have yet to agree on it with the Baltic Bubble partners ”, on our Facebook account on September 9. wrote the Prime Minister.
Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga stated that Latvia hindered this. “At least Latvian colleagues are categorically against the exclusion of individual regions or areas,” the Health Minister said in early September. “As long as we have the Baltic bubble, we really won’t be able to make such unilateral decisions on exceptions.”
However, Lithuania does not currently intend to exclude individual territories from the list of affected countries, although Latvia’s position should no longer be an obstacle to this.
The Baltic bubble has collapsed: Latvia has included both Lithuania and Estonia in the list of affected countries and demands the isolation of visitors. Riga also did not follow the example of Vilnius and Tallinn to change the morbidity poster in the lists of affected countries from 16 cases per 100,000. population to 25.
However, Lithuania does not plan to exclude individual territories from the list of affected countries, although Latvia’s position should no longer be an obstacle.
“There is no intention to divide the morbidity of countries into regions, as epidemiologists do not have reliable data to monitor long-term morbidity trends in one region or another of the country.” 15 minutes informed the SAM press service.
Milda Plepytė-Rainienė, Executive Director of the Lithuanian Tourism Association (LTA) 15 minutes He argued that the exclusion of islands is essential for tour operators to talk about the continuity of their activities. “Because the situation is very dynamic and very volatile, the possibility of having more addresses that the organizers can fly to, in a safe epidemiological situation, would be a kind of operational guarantee,” he said.
Milda rainien
M.Plepytė-Rainienė mentioned the Canary Islands as the most important for the autumn season, as well as Madeira, the island of eternal spring. While the weather is still favorable, tour operators would like to fly to the islands of Greece, Spain and Italy where the epidemiological situation is good.
“If there is no exclusion of morbidity indicators and SAM is not able to find the opportunities found by the ministries of other countries, then the situation is already very difficult for the tourism business sector, and such decisions will further complicate the situation,” he said the LTA holder.
He noted that even up to 25 cases per 100,000. the increase in the population morbidity rate does not open new directions.
123rf.com/Beach in Cyprus
“Now only Cyprus remains, where the first charter flight took off on Sunday. People are really willing to buy travel, they really want to travel,” said the LTA CEO.
Only the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made exceptions, but they cannot be used
In September, tour operators received good news from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It has updated its travel recommendations for tour groups organized on direct charter flights to Tunisia, the Portuguese regions of Madeira and the Azores.
With reservations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tour operators have the legal opportunity to transport Lithuanian travelers in these holiday destinations, but until there is a corresponding decision from the SAM, it will not be possible to take advantage of this opportunity.
“If the SAM does not distinguish between morbidity indicators, then the important step taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seems to no longer make sense, because people would have to isolate themselves when they return,” explained the situation M.Plepytė-Rainienė.
123rf.com/Madeira
In response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15 minutes stated that when preparing travel recommendations to a specific country, not only the morbidity situation is evaluated, but also other available information about the country: ensuring the necessary medical assistance during the trip, medical insurance in case of COVID-19 infection , possibility of returning to Lithuania.
It is not yet clear to which other states the Foreign Ministry could make exceptions in the recommendations. “Given that the global situation with COVID-19 remains very dynamic, we cannot say in advance how travel recommendations may change in the near future,” he added. 15 minutes wrote the Information and Media Monitoring Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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