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Sweden gives green light to vaccinated tourists from some countries

The Swedish government has taken the next step in slowly opening up for vaccinated travellers from outside the EU.

Published: 16 September 2021 12:15 CEST
Sweden gives green light to vaccinated tourists from some countries
Sweden's non-EU entry ban, which is in effect until October 31st, is getting another couple of exceptions. Photo: Erik Simander/TT

The government on Thursday decided that the EU Commission’s list of approved vaccine certificates – i.e. certificates that are legally treated as equivalent to the EU’s own Digital Covid Certificate – will apply in Sweden, too, reports the TT news agency.

The Swedish decision currently includes certificates issued by North Macedonia, San Marino, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and The Vatican – but it could be extended to more countries in the future. Sweden intends to approve vaccine certificates as and when they are approved by the EU.

“This should be seen as a step in gradually and responsibly reopening travel to Sweden for vaccinated people from other countries,” said Home Affairs Minister Mikael Damberg.

The decision means that people who live in countries on the EU Commission’s list and who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 will be allowed to travel to Sweden without entry restrictions or test requirements, as long as they can show proof of vaccination.

The EU Commission is expected to add more countries to the list soon, including the UK. The US is more complicated due to different certificates being used in different states, reports TT.

Sweden on Thursday also updated its list of countries exempt from the non-EU entry ban. This means that tourists from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brunei, Japan and Serbia are no longer exempt from the ban, but tourists from Uruguay are exempt. This is also in line with the EU’s recommendations.

The government’s decision will come into force on September 20th. It will also change the rules slightly for those who have to show a negative Covid-19 test on the border: the test can after that date be up to 72 hours old rather than 48 hours, reports TT.

The EU has also previously recommended that member states include exemptions to their entry bans for travellers from non-EU countries who are fully vaccinated with an EU-approved vaccine, but Sweden has not yet taken this step.

Under current Swedish travel rules, entry from most non-EU countries is not permitted unless the traveller falls into one of several exempt categories. Those categories include all Swedish residents and EU citizens, as well as people travelling for urgent family reasons and certain business travel, for example.

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DISCOVER AUSTRIA

Where in Austria do locals ‘hate’ tourists?

Salzburg implements a tourism concept to limit day-trippers, a restaurant owner in Carinthia bans tourists from his dining tables, and locals in Hallstatt build a wall to hinder tourists from taking selfies, blaming them for lowering the quality of life for residents in the area.

Published: 19 April 2024 12:46 CEST
Where in Austria do locals 'hate' tourists?

Austria is recognised as the world’s most overcrowded country, with more than three tourists for every permanent resident of the country.

In some parts of Austria, the high number of tourists has become a matter of concern and has created dislike among the locals.

Fences, blocked tunnels and restaurant bans 

The small-town Hallstatt of just 750 residents in Salzkammergut, sees about a million visitors per year, which is something that the locals are not always able to tolerate.

Last year, placard-waving locals blocked the tunnel into Hallstatt and also created a fence to block the views from the city, making it hard for tourists to take selfies at one of the most popular viewing spots.

Carinthia, in the south of Austria, also gained attention for tourist scepticism when a restaurant owner introduced a ‘locals only’ policy during last summer’s peak season, banning tourists from entering. He was accused of racism but defended his actions by stating that the restaurant was too busy to serve and welcome everyone.

The restaurant had also previously banned other groups of people, such as “Arabs, vegans, and hippies”, as they expressed it. During winter 2023, the restaurant announced in an Instagram story: “This is how the Peppino team is starting the new year. We would like to inform you all that our restaurant will be closed on January 16th, 2023, and will reopen on January 19th, 2023, with 6 tables reserved for our regular guests and locals”.

READ ALSO: MAP: Austria’s 12 World Heritage sites you have to visit at least once

Strategies to control tourism impact in Salzburg and Vienna

In larger cities such as Salzburg and Vienna, certain measures are being taken to control the impact of tourists.

Last July, Salzburg experienced its busiest month ever, with a record of 3.68 million hotel stays throughout the state. However, tourists are not always warmly in Mozart’s birth city, with reports of some locals openly swearing at tour guides in the street.

Salzburg wants to limit tourists from making shorter visits. The city’s head of tourism, Christine Schönhuber, says that Salzburg has no strategy for “quality tourism” and that “mass tourism” in the city is out of control. The tourism strategy until 2025 is under revision to prioritise overnight guests and ease the impact of day trippers, with suggestions including restrictions on souvenir shops, closing some streets to cars, and considering closing the bus terminal at the city’s Mirabellplatz to day-tripping companies.

The city of Vienna has also implemented certain measures to regulate the impact of the number of tourists. The city has stated its intention to promote alternative attractions and neighbourhoods, encouraging tourists to explore areas beyond the city centre.

Two tourists looking at a map of the city in front of a bookstore in Salzburg. (Photo by AFP)
 

New survey about attitudes towards tourism

Even if tourism acceptance in Austria is generally high, it has seen a decline, particularly in the most touristic regions of the country. The growing scepticism is influenced partly by concerns about labour shortages and environmental impact.

State secretary for tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler from The Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) aims to survey more than 10,000 people annually about their attitudes towards tourism.

While in tourist hotspots such as Hallstatt, local scepticism towards tourist masses is growing, elsewhere, people would like to see more visitors. Kraus-Winkler intends to improve this unbalanced tourism with an “acceptance offensive,” aiming to convince the locals of the advantages that tourism brings and to prevent frustration with tourists.

Additionally, she plans to provide regional decision-makers with a “toolbox” of solutions for addressing emerging imbalances in tourism. Moreover, a funding call is planned to support affected regions in developing concepts for their challenges. The goal is to achieve a balanced tourism in all regions. 

READ NEXT: 6 great alternatives to Austria’s overcrowded tourists hotspots

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