Despite the sharp decline in the number of infections in Europe, the federal government has so far generally advised against going abroad on holiday. That should change in three weeks – shortly after the start of the summer vacation.
Berlin (dpa) – After more than a year, the federal government is lifting the travel warning for tourist trips to corona risk areas on July 1st. This currently affects almost 100 countries worldwide, in whole or in part, including, for example, the neighboring countries of France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium.
“After long months of lockdown, we can look forward to more normalcy, and that also applies to travel,” said Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD), explaining the decision. The announcement will be made one week before the summer holidays begin in the first federal states. However, the new regulation will only come into force afterwards.
As of July 1, the federal government will no longer generally advise against tourist trips abroad. For EU countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, which are no longer classified as risk areas, the Federal Foreign Office’s travel advice will only “ask for particular caution” in future. This affects, for example, Italy, large parts of Spain and, starting next Sunday, all of Austria.
Travel warning only for around 40 countries
The new regulation is another big step towards the normalization of travel in view of the waning corona pandemic, at least in Europe. At the beginning of the pandemic on March 17, 2020, Maas issued a worldwide travel warning for tourists. The background was that at that time many vacationers were stranded because of the sudden cut of flight connections abroad and had to be brought back to Germany in an unprecedented effort. In September, the warning was then limited to corona risk areas with an infection rate of more than 50 per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days.
Now the regulation is being relaxed again significantly. From July 1, the travel warning will only apply from an incidence of 200 and for areas where dangerous virus variants have spread widely. That is only about 40 of a total of around 200 countries worldwide. In Europe there are almost no such areas anymore. Only the UK is currently classified as a virus variant area.
Maas: No invitation to be carefree
A travel warning from the Federal Foreign Office is primarily intended to have a deterrent effect. Before Corona, it was only pronounced for war and crisis areas such as Syria, Yemen or the Gaza Strip. The general travel warning for tourists was a unique step so far. However, the practical effects are limited. Above all, the travel warning enables holidaymakers to cancel bookings free of charge.
Maas connects with the change a clear signal to summer vacationers. “Hope and confidence will return to Germany in the summer,” he said. The SPD politician also emphasized that it was not an invitation to be carefree. “Travel with reason and a sense of proportion, that is the motto of this summer. The danger posed by the virus and its mutants is far from over. “
The Federal Government’s Tourism Commissioner, Thomas Bareiß, described the lifting of the general travel warning for risk areas as an important message for the travel industry. “The stigmatization of travel is finally reduced.”
Austria no longer a risk area from Sunday
The number of risk areas in Europe will be significantly reduced again on Sunday. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Friday that all of Austria and parts of Greece, Croatia and Switzerland would then be removed from the risk list. Anyone coming to Germany from these areas by land will no longer have to observe any entry restrictions due to Corona in the future.
Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was pleased with the move. “The decision of the German government is an important signal for the upcoming summer season in tourism,” he said. For most of the Austrian federal states, the classification as a risk area for travelers from Germany had already been lifted a week ago. From Sunday this will also apply to the remaining countries of Vorarlberg and Tyrol, the most popular travel destination for Germans in the Alpine country.
However, anyone entering Austria from Germany must still be able to show a negative antigen or PCR test. This does not apply to anyone who can prove a vaccination or who has already contracted Corona and has recovered.
USA and Canada also “risk-free”
The holiday islands of Madeira in Portugal and Cyprus as well as twelve other countries in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia and North America are also removed from the risk list, including the USA and Canada. In these two countries, however, there is still an entry ban for Germans who do not live there. In addition, the following countries are no longer risk areas as of Sunday: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Lebanon, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine. There are also two regions in Norway.
EU also relaxes travel rules
In the meantime, the EU states are trying to further relax the travel rules together. The guidelines agreed on Friday provide for regions to be classified as risk areas in the future only if the incidence figures are significantly higher. This should mean that fewer people are subject to strict test and quarantine requirements and that they can travel more within the EU again. Vaccinated and convalescents should generally not have to fear any travel restrictions at all.
After the agreement, for example, areas should only be designated as “red” corona risk areas that have reported between 200 and 500 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the 14 days before – or between 75 and 200 if the proportion of positive corona tests is positive of over 4 percent. The lower limit values used to be 50 and 150 respectively.
However, it is unclear to what extent the individual member states will implement the regulation. Government circles in Berlin said that no changes to the German criteria for the classification of risk areas are currently planned.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210611-99-951834 / 10
Ministry of Health on the entry regulation
RKI on foreign risk areas
