OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — American travelers could soon be flying into continental Europe again.
It comes more than a year after the EU put up restrictions to contain COVID-19.
Depending on the course of the outbreak on both sides of the Atlantic, Europe could welcome back U.S. travelers as early as this summer.
Just as tourist companies in America have felt the COVID-battered economy, so has the travel industry in the EU.
With more than 15 million Americans visiting Europe annually before the crisis, a return to even a portion of those numbers would help bring life back to an industry hit hard.
It is important to keep in mind that many of these countries still have restrictions on travel within their own country, plus each country may have different requirements for entry.
For example, Greece and Iceland have already opened up international travel, whereas France is still on lockdown.
Steve McCoy, director of air service and business development for the Omaha Airport Authority, said over 258,000 travelers came through the airport in the month of March, 100,000 more than just the month before.
He added they are still down 42% from pre-pandemic travel numbers.
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