The European Travel Retail Confederation (ETRC) welcomed the publication on Wednesday of European Commission’s guidelines and recommendations on the restoration of safe transport and tourism services in Europe.
In particular, the ETRC welcomed:
The coordinated lifting of quarantine requirements as soon as possible for incoming air travelers
Travel retail operators being able to open their stores at airports, ports and onboard ships as soon as commercially viable as per EU guidelines
A strong communication campaign to announce all the measures being taken to reassure citizens and to rebuild their confidence in air and sea transport;
ETRC President Nigel Keal commented: “This guidance from the European Commission is to be warmly welcomed. It may not be everything we need, but it is the first major contribution by the EU to the rebuilding of our industry.
“Operationally, our shops face very different issues to supermarkets and therefore different solutions are required. Whilst more detailed guidance on airport operations will be forthcoming soon, the position expressed today by the EU recognizes the key differences between duty free and domestic retailers and the need for tailored solutions. We strongly welcome that understanding and urge European governments to take the same approach.
Passengers need to have confidence that air and sea travel is safe. Across Europe and beyond, there needs to be consistency in how these measures are implemented. Airports, airlines, hotels and other travel infrastructure needs to have consistently high standards. That is the real value of what the EU is trying to achieve and ETRC is pleased to be playing its part in that process.”
The ETRC also urged European governments to work quickly to implement common standards and ensure measures are fully co-ordinated in order to restore confidence and allow for a safe passenger experience.
