Jana Buhl has not sold many holidays in recent weeks. Normally, her customers would have booked their annual vacation with the Berlin travel agent long ago. But now they’re just seeking advice. Many do not want to make binding bookings for a trip yet.
“Customers are understandably still very reluctant at the moment and are trying to book as late as possible,” Buhl told DW. Like the entire tourism industry, she is pinning great hopes on COVID-19 vaccines.
Long-distance travel: Most Germans are still hesitant with their bookings
Travel industry fighting to regain customer trust
Germans’ desire to travel is great, according to recent surveys, but there is a lot of concern as well. In December, sales of prebooked package tours for summer 2021 were 68% below the previous year’s level. And even for the period around Easter, demand is still subdued, according to travel associations. Things only appear to look up starting in late May. For the summer, booking figures are even slightly better than after the outbreak of the pandemic last spring, Jürgen Schmude, professor of tourism economics at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, told DW.
Customer confidence is an existential issue for the travel industry. In the spring and summer of 2020, images of repatriations and stranded tourists went around the world. That scared off many would-be travelers. It has now become common to promise customers that they can cancel package tours free of charge if travel warnings are issued for the vacation destination. This gives travelers a greater sense of security, Schmude said. Tour operators have also been enticing people for weeks with generous conditions and favorable offers. But for many, uncertainty remains: Will international travel be an option this summer? And if so, under what conditions?
This could happen again: overcrowded beaches on the Baltic Sea coast in summer 2020
Long-distance travel remains the exception
Admittedly, making any predictions at the moment feels rather like looking into a crystal ball. New virus mutations, difficulties in procuring vaccines, debates about a European vaccination passport, and existing travel warnings make accurate forecasts impossible. Currently, the German government is even arguing for stricter restrictions on travel.
But one thing is certain: Most people will not be able to travel as they did before the pandemic. Long-distance travel — with a few exceptions — will remain the exception for the time being. And even though summer bookings have already been made for top European destinations, including Spain and Greece, many vacationers might even decide against traveling within Europe this year. And this, despite the fact that two-thirds of Germans prefer to spend their annual vacation abroad.
This year, how attractive a vacation destination is will depend not only on possible quarantine requirements but also on how high the number of coronavirus infections are, as well as the local vaccination rate. “The safety aspect, which previously played a minor role, has become enormously important for vacationers,” says Schmude. He believes that as in 2020, a large proportion of people will travel domestically. This is also confirmed by a survey conducted by the market research institute YouGovlast December. Of the survey respondents, 40% said they planned to travel within their own country in 2021.
Vacation homes in Germany are already 60% booked
Crowded coasts and Alpine resorts
This represents a ray of hope for the German tourism industry, which has been badly hit by the pandemic. Industry sales slumped by 61% in the first nine months of 2020, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Ingrid Hartges, CEO of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga), is confident, saying in an interview with DW: “Even after the lockdown last spring, people had an unbelievably great desire to go to cafes and restaurants and take a vacation. I am convinced that when we are allowed to reopen, we will again have a great demand from our guests.”
Like last summer, southern Germany and the coastal regions stand to benefit the most. According to the German Holiday Home Association, popular destinations in the Alps and on the North and Baltic Sea are already around 60% booked for the peak travel period in July and August. There, the rush in the COVID-19 summer of 2020 was so great that the destinations were completely swamped. Fully booked hotels, overcrowded beaches, crowds in the mountains, irritated residents: German destinations were facing overtourism. The industry has to find solutions for this summer, says Schmude. But travelers could also help by avoiding the hotspots this summer and looking for offers in other regions.
Discover Germany: The trend of outdoor vacations and camping continues in 2021
Sustainable travel increasingly attractive
Wherever the destination — sustainable travel, whether hiking, biking or camping vacations is now a popular trend. Sales of bicycles, motor homes and camper vans exploded last year. Travelers also increasingly relied on vacation homes and campsites for accommodation instead of big hotels. “Holiday homes and campervans were absolutely ahead of the game last summer, because you could travel and yet retreat to your own four walls at the same time,” says travel agent Buhl. She assumes that this trend will continue this summer.
Schmude has also noted a growing interest in sustainable travel as a result of the coronavirus pandemic: “Outdoor and ecotourism was already experiencing rising demand before the coronavirus, and the pandemic acted as a catalyst.” Demand for air travel and cruises, on the other hand, has plummeted and is not expected to return anytime soon.
Chances are good that this trend will consolidate not just this summer, but also beyond the pandemic. In surveys, one-third of respondents said they wanted to change their travel behavior compared to before the pandemic, says Schmude. “Many have discovered travel destinations in Germany that they hadn’t even considered before,” says Buhl. She hopes that people will gain a new appreciation for travel through COVID-19 — also in terms of sustainability. According to Schmude, there is no way to avoid it: “The discussion about overtourism, flight shaming and cruises has indeed been pushed to the sidelines by the coronavirus. But it hasn’t gone away; it will continue.”
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Discussion over travel benefits for vaccinated people
Greece and Israel signed an agreement (Feb 9) to that will allow vaccinated tourists to travel between their two countries withthout restrictions. In Europe, whether vaccinated people should be the first to be allowed to travel again is controversial. While Germany is still reluctant, some countries already allow easier entry with a vaccination certificate, including Estonia, Poland and Iceland.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Tourism slumps worldwide
Just how disastrous the 2020 travel year was is made clear in the latest survey by the UN tourism organization UNWTO: 74% decline in global tourism worldwide, with over a hundred million jobs tied to it. Forecasts for 2021 also remain cautious in the face of travel restrictions. The emerging trends are home-based holidays, nature-based vacations, and more interest in sustainable travel.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Beijing cancels flights and trains for Chinese New Year
Hundreds of millions of Chinese are currently seeing their travel plans put on hold for the Chinese New Year on February 12, with flights and train services canceled on Thursday, especially in Beijing, at the start of the most important travel season of the year. Across the country, people are being asked to refrain from traveling to prevent a major outbreak that could lead to “massive lockdowns.”
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Israel suspends international flights
Israel is largely suspending its international flights for nearly a week. The flight suspension goes into effect at 00:00 local time on Tuesday (Jan. 26) and will remain in effect until Sunday. The measure is intended to prevent coronavirus strains from entering the country. Up to 40 percent of new cases in Israel are due to the British COVID-19 mutation.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Tourists allowed back into Sri Lanka – under conditions
Ten months after the border closure, international tourists can travel to Sri Lanka again. As confirmed by officials on Monday (Jan 18), travelers will be able to re-enter the island from Jan. 21 if they comply with strict security regulations, present a negative PCR test and stay in a quarantine hotel for 14 days.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Pompeii reopens to visitors
Despite extended coronavirus restrictions in Italy, as of Monday (Jan 18), museums and exhibitions in some regions will be able to reopen. This rule applies to the so-called Yellow Zones, where the coronavirus infection situation is less tense. Among others, the Archaeological Park in Pompeii is again able to receive visitors because it is located in the yellow region of Campania.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Despite pandemic, skiers rush to German resorts
It’s snowing in the Alps and the lower German mountain ranges. Despite all appeals, people are drawn outdoors. In many places, the perfect winter sports conditions are leading to kilometer-long traffic jams, overcrowded parking lots and full slopes, like here in Winterberg. Many municipalities can no longer control the rush and are moving to seal off their ski areas.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Australians allowed quarentine-free travel to New Zealand again from 2021
New Zealand is setting up a “travel bubble” with neighboring Australia. After months of border closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, New Zealand will once again allow tourists from Australia to enter the country without quarantine requirements in the New Year. New Zealanders have been able to travel to Australia again since October without having to go into quarantine.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
After an eight-month break Aida Cruises launches cruise again
On Saturday (December 5) the first Aida cruise ship is scheduled to leave for a one-week trip to the Canary Islands. The ship, designed for 3300 passengers, will reportedly be 50 percent full. All passengers will need to provide a negative coronavirus test, no more than 72 hours old. On board, strict hygiene and distancing rules apply, and only guided shore excursions will be possible.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Australian airline to introduce obligatory vaccination
Australian airline Qantas wants to introduce compulsory vaccination for intercontinental flights. “We will require international travelers to be vaccinated before we allow them on board,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce stated. The general terms and conditions would be adjusted accordingly. Whether this will also be a requirement for domestic flights has not yet been decided.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Hong Kong and Singapore to launch ‘travel bubble’
Both cities will launch a ‘travel bubble’ on November 22, which will allow people to move quarantine free in each direction, their governments announced on Wednesday (Nov 11), in a rare piece of good news for the pandemic-battered tourism industry. A quota of 200 residents from each city will be able to travel on one daily bubble flight to the other.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Machu Picchu is open again
Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca city in the Peruvian Andes mountains, has reopened almost eight months after it was closed down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Peruvian authorities organized an Inca ritual to mark the reopening. To allow for distancing, a maximum of 675 tourists per day are allowed to enter the old Inca city. That is less than a third of the normal number allowed.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Rio cancels its famous carnival parade for the first time in a century
Rio de Janeiro’s famous annual Carnival spectacle will not go ahead in February. Organizers said the spread of the coronavirus in Brazil made it impossible to safely hold parades which with some seven million people celebrating are a cultural mainstay, tourism magnet and, for many, a source of livelihood. Brazil has the second highest death rate in the world after the United States and India.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Germany to enter a one-month lockdown
To curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic the German government has announced though new measures to start Monday, November 2. The new restrictions effect the travel business as overnight stays in hotels for tourist purposes will be banned, entertainment facilities such as theaters and cinemas will be closed as will bars and restaurants, which will only be allowed to offer take out services.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Nuremberg cancels Christmas market
The city announced on Monday (Oct.26) that this decision had been made in view of the rapidly increasing number of coronavirus cases. The mayor explained that it was to be assumed that in the near future the Covid-19 traffic light in Nuremberg will change to dark red. “Against this background, we think it would be the wrong signal to go ahead with the annual Christkindlesmarkt Christmas market.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Japan, South Korea among next in line for Australia travel bubble
Discussions are underway between Australia and low-risk countries across Asia and the Pacific to lift coronavirus travel restrictions, but the government has warned that travel to the US and Europe may not be an option until 2022. From Friday, Australia will open its international borders for the first time since March, allowing visitors from New Zealand to travel to the country quarantine-free.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Global cruise ship association to require coronavirus tests for all
The cruise industry has decided to make coronavirus testing mandatory for all guests and crew members aboard cruise ships. The Cruise Lines International Association, the world’s largest such organization, announced on October 8 that passengers can only board ships by providing proof of a negative test result. All member shipping companies worldwide must now comply with this rule.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
German government declares all of Belgium and Iceland risk areas
In the wake of significant increases in coronavirus infection figures in Europe, Berlin has announced further EU countries as risk areas for travelers. In addition to Belgium and Iceland, additional areas of France and Great Britain, including all of Northern Ireland and Wales, were also classified as risk areas on September 30.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Thailand to slowly restart tourism with flight from China
Thailand is to receive its first foreign vacationers when a flight from China arrives next week, marking the gradual restart of a vital tourism sector battered by coronavirus travel curbs, a senior official said on Tuesday. The first flight will carry some 120 tourists from Guangzhou, flying directly to the resort island of Phuket.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Taj Mahal reopens for tourists
India’s most famous building was closed for six months, but since Monday ( September 21) it can be visited again, under strict restrictions. Only 5000 online tickets will be issued per day. There are temperature checks at the entrance. Selfies are allowed, group photos are prohibited. The Taj Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is normally visited by 8 million people every year.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Historical sales losses in global tourism
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the tourism sector has suffered a loss of 460 billion dollars (388 billion euros) from January to June, the World Tourism Organization reported in Madrid. The loss of sales was five times higher than during the international financial and economic crisis of 2009, and the total number of tourists worldwide fell by 65 percent in the first half of the year.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Germany issues further European travel warnings
Germany’s Foreign Office has warned against unnecessary tourism to Czech capital, Prague, and the Swiss cantons Geneva and Vaud (Vaud). This also applies to the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, the French regions Auvergne-Rhones-Alpes (around Lyon), Nouvelle-Aquitaine (around Bordeaux) and Occitania (around Toulouse) as well as more Croatian Adriatic areas, such as the city of Dubrovnik.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Berlin to start ‘differentiated system’ for travel warnings
The German government has extended its travel warning for around 160 countries through September 30. The advisory applies to “third countries” — i.e. countries that are not members of the EU or associated with the Schengen area. From October 1st, a “differentiated system” will apply, in which individual travel and safety information will be given for each country.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Australia’s borders to stay shut into December
Australia has extended its travel restrictions for a further three months. The borders will remain closed for visitors from abroad until at least December 17. However, the government announced that domestic travel will soon be allowed for residents of the country. An exception will be the state of Victoria, with its metropolis Melbourne, for which a lockdown has been in place since early July.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Germany extends global travel warning
The German government has extended the travel warning for around 160 countries outside the European Union by two weeks until September 14. A spokeswoman for the German Foreign Ministry explained the move on Wednesday (Aug 26) with rising coronavirus infection rates. “The situation will not relax sufficiently by mid-September to be able to lift the worldwide travel warning,” she said.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
First Mediterranean cruise has set sail
With 2,500 in
stead of 6,000 passengers, the MSC Grandiosa left the port of Genoa on August 16. Stops on the seven-day voyage include Naples, Palermo and Valletta. Passengers and crew were tested for coronavirus before boarding, and body temperature is to be checked on a daily basis. Rival cruise company Costa will not be offering Mediterranean cruises again until September.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Germany declares most of Spain high-risk area
Germany’s health and interior ministries have agreed that all of Spain — apart from the Canary Islands — is now a high-risk area due to a surge in cases. Spain said it was closing night clubs across the country. Restaurants, bars and similar venues would need to close by 1 a. m. and would not be allowed to take in new guests after midnight.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Compulsory COVID-19 tests on entry into Germany
Anyone entering Germany from a high-risk area must take a coronavirus test from August 8, after an order by Health Minister Jens Spahn. Currently, many countries are classified as risk areas, including the United States and Brazil. In the European Union, Luxembourg, the Belgian region of Antwerp and the Spanish regions of Aragon, Catalonia and Navarre were risk areas as of early August.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Setback for cruise holidays
Norwegian cruise operator Hurtigruten has stopped all cruises on August 3 until further notice after an outbreak of the coronavirus on one of its ships. At least 40 passengers and crew members on the Roald Amundsen tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, German cruise line Aida Cruises has also postponed its planned restart due to the lack of necessary permits.
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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism
Nepal reopens Mount Everest for climbers amid COVID-19
Despite coronavirus uncertainty, Nepal has reopened Mount Everest for the autumn trekking and climbing season. To boost the struggling tourism sector the government will permit international flights to land in the country from August 17. The Himalayan country shut its borders in March just ahead of the busy spring season when hundreds of mountaineers usually flock to the country.
Author: Andreas Kirchhoff, Susan Bonney-Cox
