Despite the increasing number of corona infections, many German citizens want to go to the Mediterranean Sea over Easter. The travel company TUI recently announced that bookings are currently twice as high as in the pre-Corona year 2019.
Some hotels of the travel giant are "very well booked", some hotels even "fully booked". Trips between March 27 and April 10 are particularly popular. For a week's beach vacation on Mallorca, consumers pay between 800 and 2000 euros during this period, depending on the place of departure, airline and hotel category. A lot of money for very little vacation.
Case study: A single Ryanair flight over Easter (Maundy Thursday to Easter Monday) from Düsseldorf-Weeze to Palma costs just under 300 euros there and back – plus 84 euros for a suitcase. The hotel is available for 400 euros. That makes about 784 euros together.
Can I cancel or rebook a trip?
If flight and hotel have been booked separately: Some airlines offer travelers free rebooking and so-called flex tariffs for the desired flight. As a rule, cancellations are not possible at all or only for a fee. Most travelers will only be remitted the flight tax. When booking a hotel, you are dependent on the operator's goodwill.
If consumers have booked a package tour, they must read carefully what applies in the event of a rebooking or cancellation. Many providers lure with "worry-free packages" that are linked to conditions. For example, you can only rebook once and have to catch up on the trip within a specified period of time.
Bookings of package tours or individual services such as flights or accommodation represent a legal obligation. "Whether and under what conditions this can be resolved again, for example if a travel warning for the travel destination already exists when booking, has not been clarified at least in court," emphasizes legal expert Jan Philipp Stupnanek from the consumer advice center in North Rhine-Westphalia. That means: Consumers should read the fine print in order to correctly assess the risk of being left with costs.
Why do so many people want to go to Mallorca now?
The federal government lifted travel restrictions for Mallorca a few days ago. The island was considered a risk area because of the high 7-day incidence of over 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants. This has not been the case since last Friday.
According to the infection protection regulations of the federal and state governments, anyone who spends their vacation in a risk area has to be in quarantine on their return – and needs a negative corona test upon entry. That discourages many people from traveling abroad. Because Mallorca has not been considered a risk area for a few days and therefore later entry is possible without restrictions, this ensures a real rush.
The Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings alone launched 300 additional flights to Mallorca for the beginning of the Easter travel season. Condor is also greatly expanding its Easter program and will be flying to Palma de Mallorca from eight airports in Germany during the Easter holidays. According to a press release, there are more flight options than there were in Corona summer 2020 to Spain.
Are there alternatives to Mallorca?
Mallorca is not an isolated case. There is currently no quarantine requirement (as of March 16) for entries from these popular holiday hotspots within Europe (among others):
- Centro Region (Portugal),
- Região Norte (Portugal),
- Alentejo (Portugal),
- Extremadura (Spain),
- Mallorca (Spain),
- Ibiza (Spain),
- Menorca (Spain),
- Formentera (Spain),
- La Rioja (Spain),
- Murcia (Spain),
- Valencia, Spain),
- Istria (Croatia),
- Požega Slavonia (Croatia),
- Bjelovar-Bilogora (Croatia) or
- Krapina-Zagorje (Croatia).
Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca: should I book or should I wait?
The situation is dynamic. The number of infections could rise again at any time. In addition, some federal states want to introduce compulsory testing for, for example, Mallorca returnees. Lower Saxony and Bavaria are among the first federal states to consider such a measure. Baden-Württemberg is currently rejecting such a regulation. In a few days there will be another federal and state summit, then such a regulation could apply nationwide. The moral and ethical component of such a trip must of course be answered by everyone for himself.
If a test is compulsory for returnees, consumers would have to have a PCR test on arrival at the airport. Until the result is available, travelers must be in isolation. If the corona test is positive, it gets expensive: In many cases, employees have to reckon with financial consequences such as loss of earnings. If you have to be in quarantine and have no symptoms of illness, you are not allowed to simply call in sick.
PCR test: passport or ID card number must indicate findings
Many German regions are considered risk areas abroad. When entering Spain, Portugal or Croatia, tourists need a negative corona test that is not older than 72 hours. Even if you get a PCR test, the airline may not accept it and send you to the airport for an express test. Many travelers pay between 70 and 200 euros for such PCR tests at German airports.
When entering Mallorca applies (As of March 17th): The passport number must be on the report. The test should also be written in English.
Carefree vacation? You have to be aware of that
Vacationers should keep in mind that a carefree vacation is not really possible. There is also a general curfew in Mallorca from 10 p.m. during Easter. Take-away is mandatory in bars and restaurants every day after 5 p.m. Food and drinks are therefore only available for consumption outside the home. In hotels, this rule does not apply to house guests. In the lobby there are tapas, burgers and drinks also served after 5pm. Tourists do not adhere to the curfew and corona rules are blooming with hefty fines.
In Portugal, a gradual easing is not expected until March 31st – a strict lockdown also applies during the Easter period. Bars and restaurants offer food and drinks only to-go, department stores are closed and the following restriction applies on weekends: residents are only allowed to stay within one district (concelho).
And the federal government has already reacted: it called for a general refusal to travel to tourism because of the corona pandemic.