Monday, January 11, 2021
Bareiß in the "ntv Frühstart"
"Travel will be better again from Whitsun holidays"
Lockdown in Germany: Vacation travel is out of the question at the moment. The federal government fears that it will stay that way for a few more months. The tourism officer gives Bareiß hope for the summer vacation.
The outlook for the citizens is bleak: The Federal Government's Tourism Commissioner, Thomas Bareiß, is skeptical as to whether a vacation will be possible again during the Easter holidays. "I believe that traveling is something that will be very difficult to imagine for the next two or three months," said Bareiß in the ntv program "Frühstart". The infection situation in Germany and Europe is worrying, and there are also the corona mutations. He does not expect improvement until the second quarter. "It will get better again from the Whitsun holidays. And I hope that summer will be a really big travel period."
In the summer, vacation in Germany will be possible again, said the CDU politician at ntv. Long-distance travel is probably also feasible, but it depends on the respective situation abroad. The virus mutations do not necessarily have to be a great risk for the summer, says Bareiß. The manufacturers have clearly stated that the vaccines are also suitable against mutated variants. "If we really vaccinated most of the people in Germany in the second quarter, there will be security for traveling in the summer."
New rules for travelers
The Parliamentary State Secretary nevertheless emphasized: "The travel year 2021 will still be very, very extraordinary." Safety first. The tourism industry itself has an interest in holidaymakers returning home healthy. Safe travel will be a quality feature for the industry. "We don't want the same conditions as in Ischgl last year." The vaccinations raised hopes. The federal government has made it clear that there should be no two-class society when traveling, for example on the plane. "We want everyone to be treated normally, regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not."
The Federal Government will introduce two additional levels of risk areas for those returning to travel, according to the tourism officer. Countries and regions with more than 200 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in 7 days should be classified as high-risk areas. In addition to the quarantine requirement, a test requirement on return will be introduced here.
A third level applies to regions in which dangerous virus mutations are rampant. Exception rules for travelers from these regions are to be "greatly reduced". "We really have to be careful here. If the mutated viruses spread more and more in Germany, there is a fast chain of infection. That would put an enormous strain on our health system," said Bareiß. The previous classification as a risk area for countries with an incidence of more than 50 new infections remains. The change to the model quarantine regulation could be decided in the cabinet on Wednesday.
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