For the first time since the outbreak of the corona pandemic, holidaymakers from Germany have returned to the Mediterranean island of Mallorca. A Tui flight from Düsseldorf, full of 189 passengers, landed at Son Sant Joan Airport in Palma de Mallorca on Monday.
"We were looking forward to Mallorca and the Mediterranean Sea, we waited for five months for us to come and are overjoyed that the time has come," said Georg Käsbach from Lindlar near Cologne, who, together with his wife Diana, was the first Belonged to travelers.
The sun-hungry German "test tourists", who were the first to travel to Mallorca after a three-month Corona break, were greeted with applause and enthusiasm by employees of their hotels and by politicians. Some passers-by also clapped when the tourists got off the buses. "Overwhelming, I think they are really looking forward to us here," said Hans Gerhartinger from Horn-Bad Meinberg (East Westphalia-Lippe).
"Knowing that being here is a privilege"
Despite the mask, Daniel Wiener can clearly see his joy. The 46-year-old from Düsseldorf is one of the first Germans to travel to Mallorca again on Monday after a Corona standstill lasting several months. "We know that it is a privilege to be here," says Wiener with a beer in his hand at the pool in his hotel in the island's capital, Palma.
Even before Spain opens the border, the Germans can come to the Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. A total of 10,900 German holidaymakers will benefit from the pilot project, 1,500 of them before Sunday's lockdown in Spain.
The regional government and three German tour operators planned the "pilot program for opening safe tourist corridors in the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands". You want to test how a safe holiday can be guaranteed in Corona times. According to the Tui tourism group involved, the first travel appointments were fully booked within 36 hours.
4.5 million Germans went on holiday to Mallorca in 2019
The Germans have a very special relationship with Mallorca – it is not for nothing that the island with its picturesque beaches is often referred to as the "17th German state". Around 4.5 million Germans visited the island last year.
But then Corona came. After Spain closed its borders due to the pandemic, numerous Germans have complained to the authorities since April because they finally wanted to go to Mallorca again.
On Monday it was finally done. In the early morning, the first plane started from Düsseldorf that brought German vacationers to Palma de Mallorca. Michael Driesch is one of them. It is a trip to "paradise" for the man from Düsseldorf.
Vacationers have to measure body temperature and expect calls
Driesch is not afraid of being infected with the novel corona virus during his vacation. "I'm not afraid," says the 56-year-old. "The Balearic Islands are not a source of infection: it is more dangerous to drive from Hamburg to Munich," he adds with a smile.
In order to keep the risk of infection as low as possible, there are some protective measures. On arrival, the temperature is measured for the vacationers. They must leave their contact details and expect phone calls from the authorities during their vacation to inquire about possible Covid 19 symptoms.
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After more than 27,000 people have died from or with a coronavirus infection in Spain, the country does not want to take any risks. "It seems to me that this is a great attempt to test," said Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa on Monday, referring to the pilot project with the Germans.
Tourism extremely important for the Balearic Islands
A lot is done to make them feel good. At the Hotel RIU Concordia, the arrivals from Germany were welcomed on Monday by hotel employees with mouth-nose protection. "German cuisine" is offered in the restaurants, the waiters speak German and the bathing rules are also explained in German.
It is important for Spain that tourism starts up again – and much more for the Balearic Islands. After all, in normal years the industry accounts for twelve percent of the gross domestic product in Spain and 35 percent in the Balearic Islands. The return of the Germans, who make up 27 percent of holidaymakers on Mallorca and its neighboring islands, is therefore an important signal of departure.
This is how Christian Laforcade feels. The 48-year-old runs the "Zur Krone" restaurant in the island's capital. "The hope here in Palma is very high," says the landlord. After all, Mallorca is very "dependent on tourism and above all on the Germans".