The European Commission has put forward a package of guidelines to ensure member states can gradually lift travel restrictions at similar times and allow tourism businesses to reopen while following health precautions.

According to the commission, the guidance is aimed at offering people ¡°the chance to get some well-needed rest, relaxation and fresh air¡±. It is based on safely returning freedom of movement throughout the bloc after many member states closed their borders starting in March as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold.

The phased approach would start by allowing seasonal workers to travel across borders, followed by lifting restrictions between countries where the virus is under a similar level of control, and finally opening all of the EU¡¯s internal borders. EU citizens and residents should not travel if they are feeling unwell or are experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19, according to the guidelines.

The commission put forward a number of recommendations for ensuring safe transport, such as ensuring passengers can buy rail and air tickets and check in online; no longer offering food and drinks on board flights to limit contact; allowing fewer passengers on board aircraft, buses, trains and ferries and providing hand sanitisers; seating passengers who are not from the same household apart; and providing all staff with protective equipment. It also said passengers should wear facemasks inside airports, train stations and bus and ferry terminals as well as on board, particularly where social distancing cannot be followed.

The guidance urges transport providers to adopt equivalent measures where they operate on the same routes to provide ¡°clarity and predictability¡± for passengers ¡°and to preserve the level playing field¡±.

Outlining specific guidelines for aviation, the commission¡¯s report said: ¡°Regaining the confidence of passengers that aviation is a safe travel mode will be instrumental for exiting the crisis.¡± It said airlines should communicate the measures in place to safeguard passengers and crew.

In collaboration with the commission, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and other authorities, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will soon put forward operational guidelines to help airlines, airports and aviation authorities to set out a baseline protocol that could pave the way for providers to follow equivalent guidelines across the board. Recommendations to be included range from ensuring aircraft are using hospital-grade HEPA filters for ventilation; limiting contact among passengers and crew throughout the journey, which could include ¡°exploring the most appropriate allocation of seats based on technical constraints¡±; reducing movement throughout the cabin; and managing passenger flows by providing information on arrival time at the airport, allowing for online self check-in, ensuring distancing measures are in place where people are required to queue and providing passengers with information about procedures in place at the airport.

Commission vice-president Margrethe Vestager said: ¡°Workers and travellers need to know that hotels, restaurants and beaches are safe.¡± She added that contact-tracing apps being developed in individual countries should be required to work across Europe.

The guidance comes as various EU member states started lifting lockdown measures at different paces. Germany and Austria have agreed to remove restrictions, while Finland will begin allowing those travelling for work or other essential journeys to enter from the Schengen area starting tomorrow.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have agreed to form a ¡°Baltic bubble¡± from Friday, which will allow travellers from each country to enter the others by rail, sea and air. A quarantine will initially be enforced for people from other states.

The UK, which is still in the transition phase of leaving the EU, has announced it will impose a 14-day quarantine on passengers arriving from overseas, except for those from France and the Republic of Ireland. Spain will implement a similar measure starting Friday.