In his radio speech "Good Morning Hungary" on 30 October on Kossuth Radio https://mediaklikk.hu/miniszterelnoki-interjuk/cikk/2020/10/30/orban-viktor-miniszterelnoki-interju-jo-reggelt-magyarorszag-oktober-30 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said, among other things, that there is a high probability that the vaccine will be available as early as January 2021 and that it will be widely available throughout the country from April. From April, we could even declare victory against Covid 19.
In our view, this could also mean that once broad immunity has been acquired from spring onwards, maintaining restrictions may become unjustified. Easter this year may even be business as usual. This is much needed in the tourism and hospitality sectors, as many people are already using up their reserves. I believe that entrepreneurs now have a great responsibility not to allow further losses to build up, so that they have the capital to start Easter again.
Another big issue is the start of foreign foreign trade. This will require a high degree of trust on all sides and proof of Covid exemption or immunity for travellers.
The international press is reporting on the cheap quick tests that could make tourism smooth and safe again: the following was reported in Usa Today: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/10/24/nobel-prize-crispr-gene-editing-technology-used-covid-tests/3650308001/
Fast, cheap, accurate: researchers are pinning their hopes on Nobel Prize-winning CRISPR technology to detect coronavirus
Dr Jennifer Doudna, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, whose pioneering work on CRISPR won her this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry, said the test can be done quickly and does not require a laboratory.
In our view, if some kind of quick test is adopted at EU level or if a Covid-free certificate is introduced, there will be no obstacle to the resumption of foreign traffic, but unfortunately this will have to wait.
In the meantime, all Hospitality and Tourism Operators should persevere, there is light at the end of the tunnel!
