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After the sudden increase in holiday bookings for the holiday island of Mallorca, the federal government has called for a general waiver of tourist trips due to the corona pandemic.
"The appeal is to forego any travel that is not absolutely necessary," said government spokesman Steffen Seibert.
The spokeswoman for the Federal Foreign Office, Maria Adebahr, said: “The absence of a travel warning is not an invitation to travel.” But everyone has to make the decision for themselves.
Shortly after the federal government lifted the travel warning for the Balearic Islands and holiday regions on the Spanish mainland, Portugal and Denmark, the number of bookings rose rapidly.
Visits there are again possible without quarantine and testing on return.
A negative test only has to be presented when entering Spain.
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Due to the great demand, the tourism group TUI has already announced that it will double the offer for the Easter holidays and thus offer over 300 return flights from several German cities.
The travel researcher Jürgen Schmude fears, however, that Mallorca could lead to "a second Ischgl".
“Basically, this onslaught is a catastrophe,” said the professor for tourism economics and sustainability at the University of Munich to the “RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland”.
It is unclear whether the federal government's appeal to refrain from traveling will be backed up with measures.
Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) has already called on the federal government to introduce “mandatory testing” for those returning from vacation at Easter.
You shouldn't risk anything.
“The many travel bookings to Mallorca are a big concern,” said Söder on the short message service Twitter: “Bavaria will set up and have enough test capacities at the airports.” The CSU MP Paul Lehrieder, chairman of the tourism working group, also called for all travelers returning to travel “comprehensively” , preferably mandatory "to test.
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The state government in Lower Saxony is already thinking about reintroducing the obligation to test for Mallorca returnees on their own.
The people who wanted to travel to the Balearic Islands should know that they are exposing themselves to a certain risk, said Lower Saxony's government spokeswoman Anke Pörksen.
People from all over Germany and Europe meet on site, and there is a risk of infections spreading.
"You see a real problem in the country," says Pörksen.
"The federal government and its subordinate bodies are once again creating a complete mess of communication with contradicting announcements," criticized Markus Tressel, spokesman for tourism policy for the Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen parliamentary group.
"The best thing is to have clear rules across Europe about what is possible and what is not in the current difficult situation," said Tressel.
It is “often difficult to understand, even for the people in the destination, when Spaniards are not allowed to travel within Spain or are only allowed to travel to a very limited extent, but at the same time thousands of Germans fly to Mallorca from areas with in some cases significantly higher incidences, while in Germany there are restaurants and bars Hotels are closed. "
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Markus Klinge, the FDP's tourism policy spokesman in the Bundestag, says: "It is correct that the Robert Koch Institute and the Foreign Office have followed their own standards and have finally lifted the travel warning for Mallorca in view of the persistently low incidence there." : "At the same time, it makes no sense to generally advise against traveling."
The federal government is acting “without a plan or concept” when it comes to travel, criticizes Klinge.
It is not acceptable that the nationwide ban on tourist overnight stays "continues to be upheld, especially with a view to the Easter holidays," said the Liberal: "What applies to Mallorca must also apply to Germany."
Klinge referred to statements by the Robert Koch Institute that organized trips are not among the pandemic drivers.
"How can you explain to the many hosts in Germany who have been without income for almost five months in a row that you can travel abroad by plane, but not by private car for a weekend to the Baltic Sea?"
The Left supports the Federal Government's appeal.
“I agree with the appeal to refrain from major vacation trips,” said tourism policy spokeswoman Kerstin Kassner: “The lower number of infections in some parts of Europe - this has been shown by the experience of the past few months - can quickly turn into the opposite.
Risking a second Ischgl now would be fatal. "
In a study in February, the Robert Koch Institute had shown that package tours were not a driver of the pandemic last summer, unlike visits to relatives and the entry of workers and harvest workers from southeast Europe.
The associations of the travel and hospitality industry, including DRV and Dehoga, appealed with a joint social media campaign to give tourism a perspective as quickly as possible.
"The tourism industry has reached a point where it has to rely on important political decisions to ensure its survival," said Michael Buller from the Association of Internet Travel Sales (VIR).
"The federal and state governments are called upon to finally meet their responsibility for this important branch of the economy."
The principle of "hotels closed, mobility down, infections contained" does not work, explained Otto Lindner, chairman of the German Hotel Association (IHA).
"So there is no justification for the special social sacrifice imposed on the hotels so that other branches of the economy can remain open."
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In Mallorca, hotels and restaurants are increasing their offerings again before Easter.
However, there are still restrictions, as reported by the “Reise vor 9” portal.
In the course of a curfew, residents and visitors have to stay at home from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., unless they can be shown to be on business or attend important appointments with the doctor, for example.
In addition, the Balearic Government appeals to residents and visitors to be home by 8 p.m.
Since Monday, restaurants and cafes have not only been allowed to serve outdoor areas but also indoor tables.
Outside 50 percent of the usual tables can stand, inside the building it is 30 percent.
At 5 p.m. the catering has to close, writes "Reise vor 9".
A maximum of four people from two households are allowed to sit at the tables.
A family of five who live in the same household can sit together at the same table in the restaurant.
Furthermore, an extensive smoking ban applies in public.