Easter is just around the corner, but most people are probably not thinking about a longer vacation in view of the increasing number of infections. Many put their hopes in the summer. Sun, beach and sea should compensate for the months of hardship in the lockdown winter. A longing that is all too understandable after a year of pandemic.
But it is a long way to sunbathing on the beach in Mallorca. Talks are currently underway between several federal ministries, medical professionals and travel experts as to how traveling on a large scale can be made possible again, reports "Welt". The good news: Since the end of January, the panel of experts has been reviewing the results of the individual areas, and "technical agreement" has now been established. There is a "consensus", according to aviation and travel industry circles.
This consensus should therefore contain the following points, with which traveling on a large scale should be possible again despite the corona pandemic.
1. Differentiation according to incidence
The developed concept provides for a differentiation according to the incidence situation in the holiday countries. For example, travelers should only have one on their return from countries with normal incidence Rapid PCR or antigen test make that is not older than 48 hours. According to the report, the negative test result must be presented to the airlines; if the corona test is positive, quarantine is mandatory.
For travelers returning from high-incidence areas (incidence more than 200), according to the plans, a Two test strategy grab and make entry safe. For example, a negative test result would have to be presented upon entry, which is generally based on a five day quarantine connects. At the end of this, returnees from such high-incidence areas would have to take another quick test.
2. Digital entry registration (DEA)
The DEA plays a central role: the results of these tests are to be stored in the digital entry registration in the future. This already exists and is currently being further developed in order to also save a person's test and vaccination records in the DEA in the summer. "The technical upload capability is about to be completed," said the last report from circles in the aviation and travel industry.
Politicians and the travel industry hope that the digital storage in the DEA will enable the infection process to be traced. Even now, travelers have to fill out the digital immigration registration. The data goes to the Robert Koch Institute and the local health authorities.
3. "Travel corridors" with special rules
Another instrument could be so-called travel corridors, which Germany could decide on, especially with close partner countries. According to media reports, the Spanish government wants to create such travel corridors to make holidays in Spain possible again. That said the tourism minister of the central government in Madrid, Reyes Maroto, already at the end of February. According to the minister, specially vaccinated travelers who want to travel to the Balearic Islands and Mallorca could benefit from this.
According to the plans of the German committee of experts, an integral part of such travel corridors could be, for example, separated gates and entrances to the airports and the obligation to carry out particularly reliable PCR tests, as "Welt" reports. If all sides agree, this could also make quarantine obligations for tourists unnecessary.
According to the Spanish Minister of Tourism, the central part of these corridors should be vaccination certificates or vaccination passports, says Maroto. Spain is already promoting the creation of such travel corridors with the EU.
Travel warnings are still in place in many countries
It is questionable how the corona infection numbers in the classic vacation countries of Germans will develop over the next few months. Many areas or even entire countries are still considered risk areas.
Almost exactly a year ago, the federal government issued a worldwide travel warning for all around 200 countries, which was only lifted after three months. Since then, the government has assessed all countries, down to individual regions, separately – this offers more differentiation. Nevertheless, around 160 countries are still considered to be corona risk areas in whole or in part.
Mallorca is currently no longer a risk area
The latest decision to no longer declare Mallorca a corona risk area has given the battered travel industry a sigh of relief. The largest travel company TUI is also reporting consistently strong bookings. "There is still a clear demand for the newly launched trips," said the company. The competitor FTI also reports an "extreme increase in demand, especially for Mallorca". Since last week there has been an increase in bookings for the Easter holidays by five times compared to the week before.