See you next year, hopefully.
If you live in the European Union, you probably won’t be running into American tourists. The bloc is expected to agree on Tuesday that US citizens will be barred from its member states as the US fights a Covid-19 resurgence.
The move will highlight the failed US effort to suppress the coronavirus pandemic: Charts of new confirmed coronavirus cases on each side of the Atlantic are moving in exactly the opposite direction. Europe’s openings could still have the same painful effect that they did in states like Florida, Texas and Arizona. But European states generally imposed earlier, tighter lockdowns than in the US, and mask wearing is not the polarized issue it is here.
The EU ruling will be another personal embarrassment to President Donald Trump over his botched management of the pandemic. The President often explodes at perceived slights. But since he’s pretty much ignoring the Covid-19 crisis in the US, he might let this one slide. Plus, as the White House has already pointed out, European entry into the US is already suspended.
No-shows by US tourists will hurt the shuttered European tourism industry. Millions bring their dollars across the Atlantic every year, drawn by the continent’s history, cuisine and ambience. Italy, France, Germany and Spain welcome the most Americans, according to EU data.
