With summer travel underway, the United Kingdom and European Union have rolled out plans for reopening their borders to American tourists. Fully vaccinated Americans will be allowed to visit the U.K. without a quarantine period beginning in August, while most other European countries are at least partially open to U.S. travelers.
YouGov data across several countries shows that most people in key European countries support allowing at least vaccinated American tourists to visit without a mandatory quarantine. Italy is the most willing: three-quarters (77%) support at least vaccinated visitors from the United States, including 14% of Italians who would welcome all American tourists regardless of their vaccination status.
About two-thirds of those living in France (64%) would welcome at least vaccinated Americans, with 16% open to all tourists. Most Germans (59%) would want U.S. guests (42% only want vaccinated visitors, while 17% don’t care about their vaccination status). Those living in Spain are the least enthused about visitors from any country surveyed. About half of Spaniards (54%) would welcome American tourists, with 17% accepting of all guests. The United States is keeping its own strict rules about visitors in place, amid the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19. Most aspiring visitors from the United Kingdom, European Union, and China, and other nations, are still banned.
Americans may not agree with this extended ban, however. A plurality of U.S. adults are open to at least vaccinated tourists from many European countries (between 70-73%), including Spain, the UK, France, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, and Germany. About one-quarter of Americans (23-26%) would support all tourists from these European countries, regardless of their vaccination status.
By comparison, Americans are much more hesitant to allow visitors from China. About half (49%) support allowing travelers from China, including 11% who would be open to any visitor from the country. One-third (32%) oppose allowing any visitors from China into the U.S.
American hesitation toward admitting Chinese tourists is reflected in the other countries surveyed, all of which are more reluctant to allow Chinese tourists than travelers from Europe or the United States.
There is, however, variation within these results – although more worried about Chinese tourists than European and American tourists, Italians still support their entry by 66% to 25%. In Spain, the admittance of tourists from China is opposed by 50% to 44%. This could reflect the greater importance of Chinese travelers to the Italian economy: in 2018, Italy received 3.2 million Chinese tourists, about five times as many as Spain did.
See the full results from this YouGov poll
Related: Most in key European nations support allowing in at least vaccinated British tourists
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