The airport of Palma de Mallorca is still very busy; and that although the German government declared the Balearic Islands and the Spanish mainland to be a corona risk area on Friday. Airlines such as Lufthansa and its subsidiary Eurowings are still flying tourists to Spain despite the skyrocketing number of infections.
"There are 180 flights from Germany to Palma every week," said a company spokesman for the "Bild" newspaper. The machines are still well staffed. 36,000 holidaymakers could flock to the Balearic Island alone every week if the aircraft were at full capacity – despite the travel warning.
In the heat of midsummer, Germans are increasingly forced into a moral balancing act between social responsibility and personal desire for relaxation: Is a vacation trip – whether to a risk area or not – still justifiable? Or should we all stay at home?
Are free corona tests fair for those returning from vacation?
How polarizing this question is within society is shown by the heated discussion about who should pay for the costs of the corona tests for return travelers. Members of the respective parties represent very different positions.
"If holidaymakers go to countries that are known to be risk areas in advance, then the risk lies with the holidaymakers," said FDP health politician Andrew Ullmann, for example, of the "Saarbrücker Zeitung". "As a result, they would have to pay for the tests." The costs should not be paid by the health insurances and consequently by the contributors. "Especially since passengers who are on vacation are usually not concerned with social issues," said Ullmann.
Health Minister Jens Spahn thinks differently. He fears that paid tests would reduce the willingness to test among those returning from rice and could thus be counterproductive for a test system that is as close as possible. In the ARD Tagesthemen he emphasized that the tests should be taken in order to protect everyone.
Although he could understand the impulse to ask vacationers to pay for the tests, "one tries to avoid the tests that cost something. We should have an interest in many people doing them," said Spahn. The tests should "not be a financial question in any constellation".
Corona tests for vacationers: Participation in the costs would be fair, but not feasible
For health economist Volker Ulrich, too, Spahn’s path is the right one – despite legitimate criticism on issues of justice. “People who are now traveling to a risk area know exactly what they are getting into. Accordingly, from a regulatory point of view, it would be justified to include them in the test costs, ”he says.
Ulrich does not see a practicable way of implementation alone. It is true that there is the option of adding the cost of a corona test to flight or train tickets, but there is no technical solution to the cost sharing for car travelers. “At the same time, the positive social effects of a broad test program predominate,” argues the health economist.
In the corona pandemic, Germany continues to rely on the largest possible test volume. “Free tests are essential for this strategy,” says Ulrich.
Traveling in times of pandemic: it remains a sensitive topic
Whether in a risk area or not: The subject of traveling in a pandemic is and will remain a sensitive issue. Now that the number of cases is skyrocketing in many European countries, many who have planned a vacation trip for the next few weeks are faced with the tricky question: drive or should it be better to stay at home so as not to expose themselves or others to danger?
The Kiel tourism scientist Martin Lohmann is convinced that people can travel responsibly even during a pandemic: “Most of the 55 million Germans who go on vacation every year do significantly more than, for example, on Ballermann without a mask and distance to get drunk. And if you breathe fresh air on vacation by the sea or in the mountains – in compliance with the distance rules – then that's not daring, even in times of pandemics, but simply healthy, "said Lohmann in an interview with FOCUS Online.
Also read: Favorite island becomes risk area – party rage increases virus risk: Mallorca's corona teachings also apply to Germany
Tourism is also the backbone of their economies for many southern European countries. In 2019, 2.4 million people were directly employed in the tourism industry in Spain alone. The tourism industry thus accounts for almost 10.5 percent of the total share of the workforce (23 million in 2019) and thus significantly more than, for example, in Germany (6.8 percent). Traveling in Corona times not only ensures your own relaxation, but also alleviates the massive economic worries of Europe's holiday destinations.
Travelers bring the virus into Germany
However, the price could be too high if travelers bring the virus to Germany as a holiday souvenir. A concern that is also supported by the current number of cases. The health department in Düsseldorf announced last week that every fourth person infected with corona had brought the virus with them from vacation to North Rhine-Westphalia. In Bavaria, around 1389 positive results were issued by the 107,376 people returning from the trip up until last Friday.
Traveling in Crisis: Where is the moral dividing line?
But where does the moral dividing line run when it comes to weighing up personal wanderlust and social responsibility?
Frauke Rostalski is an expert in criminal law and a member of the German Ethics Council. She has a clear opinion on what should be taken into account when planning travel in pandemic times – especially with a view to vacations in risk areas. So everyone can in principle run the risk of infecting themselves, but this personal freedom does not include the risk of infection from others, she points out.
Also read: Dealing with Corona – The number of cases is increasing, so what? Why we lost fear of the virus
The decision will be particularly difficult for those who booked their travel destination before it was subsequently declared a risk area. From Rostalski's point of view, not to board the plane to Mallorca is the only justifiable decision: “It may be painful for individuals, especially if the vacation is booked early. Nevertheless, for reasons of consideration and the avoidance of a further spread of the pandemic, it seems ethically advisable to refrain from such trips. "
The only compromise that remains is to move vacation away from the major infection centers in Europe to less affected regions – even if this may mean financial losses for the individual. But then, according to the ethicist, everyone can travel with a clear conscience – even in times of the pandemic.