The federal government's worldwide travel warning is valid until mid-June. Does that mean I can't travel abroad until then? A common misunderstanding.
- Despite worldwide travel warnings until mid-June , vacationers * may also travel abroad beforehand.
- Because the official travel warning of the federal government is not a travel ban, but a recommendation.
- Specifically, this means that if a neighboring country in Germany opens its borders before June 14, holidaymakers can also travel there.
The same applies to destinations such as Italy * and Spain *: if there are flights and entry is possible, individual travelers can also go there.
Travel warning no travel ban - what does that mean for vacationers now?
In principle, a travel warning is legally a very strong indication that a trip to the corresponding country is significantly impaired. This applies, for example, to countries in crisis and civil war such as Iraq, Yemen and Somalia. However, this does not mean, for example, that you cannot get there by plane - although not from Germany with a German airline. There are regular scheduled flights to Baghdad, Kabul and Mogadishu.
Read here : These new rules apply during the corona crisis at German airports.
In practice, a travel warning is practically binding for German tour operators: companies cancel travel packages as soon as the Federal Foreign Office issues a travel warning for a country. Holidaymakers can cancel the travel contract free of charge . Tourists are also brought home from the affected country.
The current situation also shows that a travel warning is not a travel ban : Eurowings, for example, had announced that it would fly to Mallorca again in May - despite the warning . Before Corona, there was never a worldwide travel warning.
Vacation travel business is slowly picking up again
The citizens' desire to travel is gradually waking up again : After easing travel restrictions in the Corona crisis and growing hope for summer vacations in Europe, organizers are reporting increasing bookings. "In the past two to three weeks we have seen a steady increase in demand," says Ralph Schiller, Managing Director at FTI Group. There is currently a particularly high level of interest in travel between Rügen and Garmisch-Partenkirchen. But the demand for international business is also increasing.
Vacation in Germany : "Since the German vacation regions are available again, we see a great demand on the coasts and mountains," said a Tui spokesman. In Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, some dates around May Day and Midsummer Weeks are already booked. There has also been strong growth for southern Germany, in some cases over 100 percent compared to the previous year. FTI, DER Touristik and Alltours have also noticed a sharp increase in demand for vacation in Germany in recent times. "This applies above all to the North and Baltic Seas, but the Alps and low mountain ranges also attract," reports DER Touristik.
Hotels : However, not every holidaymaker should be able to get their desired quarters at the desired time. "Popular regions such as the coast or Bavaria have always been very busy during the summer holidays," explained Ralph Schiller, Managing Director at the FTI Group. Due to the distance rules, hotels could not fully utilize their capacities during the peak travel season this year. The result: “Some hotels cannot accept all vacationers who have already booked. We clarify this in each individual case and offer customers, for example, a different appointment or a different type of accommodation. ”He does not expect similar problems with vacation packages to other European countries. "The hotel occupancy can be controlled via the flight offer."
Read here : These new rules apply during the corona crisis at German airports.
Vacation abroad : "When vacation areas like Greece or Croatia signal that they want to open up to tourists, demand increases immediately. A lot happens depending on the news," said Schiller. Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) and counterparts from ten of Germany's most popular holiday destinations want to work towards opening the borders to tourists by the beginning of summer. Maas wants to lift the travel warning for German tourists, which is still valid worldwide until June 14, initially only for the European Union and replace it with individual travel information for the individual countries.
Industry leader Tui reports a significant increase in bookings for trips to the Balearic Islands, Greece and Portugal. "Especially in Mallorca there is a catch-up effect - only 40 percent of the capacities are used by early bookers," said the spokesman. DER Touristik currently sees a strongly increasing demand at a low level, especially for Mallorca and the Balearic Islands as a whole, the Canaries, Maldives, Greece, Turkey, Mexico and the Caribbean. Alltours records bookings for package tours especially for Mallorca, followed by Antalya, Crete and the Canary Islands. Schauinsland-Reisen is confident "that the European border openings will boost demand in the short term - also for the summer holidays".
Air travel : Passengers have to be prepared for changes in the processes at the German airport. Obligation to wear a mask at certain points, rectified and therefore slower processes, but initially no medical checks - this is the guideline that the industry association ADV presented. The package of measures is said to almost completely eliminate the risk of infection for the lung disease Covid-19 when air traffic restarts, it said.
Concerns : The chair of the World Medical Association, Frank Ulrich Montgomery, warns against the rapid opening of European borders to tourism. "I would advise the government to keep the borders closed - in both directions," Montgomery told the newspapers of the Funke media group (Tuesday). "For health reasons, it would be best if people stayed where they live." Travel will increase the risk of a second wave of infections: "It will be harder than the first because we will no longer be so careful."
Situation of the tourism industry : According to a survey by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), the German tourism industry assumes that it will have to struggle for a long time with the economic consequences of the Corona crisis. In the travel and hospitality industry, around 40 percent of businesses expect a return to normality in the coming year at the earliest. This perspective is dramatic, Achim Dercks, deputy DIHK general manager, told the “Passauer Neue Presse” (Tuesday). The tourism industry is one of the sectors hardest hit by corona-related restrictions with mostly small and medium-sized enterprises. Associations are calling for a rescue fund with non-repayable grants.
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sca / dpa
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* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
