What about summer break?

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Brussels looks for ways of saving Europe’s sacred summer break. Commission under pressure to come up with a common system of rules to allow limited travel and prevent countries going it alone.

Gradual moves towards easing Europe’s lockdown measures have turned political attention on an industry that is the lifeblood of countless regions across the continent: tourism.

Discussing holiday plans for Europe’s quarantined populations is not without its pitfalls. Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, learnt the hard way when she announced earlier this month that no one should be planning a summer break. The commission chief was later forced to recant and insisted that holidaymakers could make the most of “smart solutions to have a summer vacation” as restrictions ease.

The potential scale of the devastation is eye-watering. Mr Breton told MEPs last week that at worst, the sector is facing a €400bn wipeout from lost visitors this year. The OECD thinks the sector — which makes up 10 per cent of EU’s gross domestic product — could suffer a 70 per cent decline.

Source: https://www.ft.com/content/7b987208-8cb6-444a-b8fe-700ee9ead6cf

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