In the Czech Republic, stricter entry rules for vacationers from Germany come into force on Friday.
Prague - The country's tourism industry now fears another slump in visitor numbers.
"Every such barrier is an obstacle for vacationers," said the President of the Czech Hotel and Restaurant Association, Vaclav Starek, on Thursday of the German Press Agency.
Germany is the most important country of origin for foreign tourists for the Czech Republic.
The bed occupancy in hotels in Prague is already only around 11 percent.
Anyone who comes from a so-called green country such as Germany, Austria or Switzerland must from now on have a negative rapid test result that is not older than 48 hours or a PCR test result that is not older than 72 hours.
In addition, an online registration form must be completed before entering the country.
The test does not apply to anyone who has been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus for at least 14 days.
Apart from air travel, there are currently no special requirements to be observed when returning to Germany.
Association president Starek therefore called on the government in Prague to orientate its own corona entry rules to those of the other country.
Health Minister Adam Vojtech justified the obligation to test with concerns about the delta variant of the corona virus, which is considered more contagious. There are exceptions for transit travelers and small border traffic. According to current figures, ten new corona infections per 100,000 inhabitants were registered in the Czech Republic within seven days. (dpa)
