First foreign holiday destinations before the restart

Lisa Vogel studied departmental journalism with a focus on medicine and biosciences at Ansbach University and deepened her journalistic knowledge in the master's degree in multimedia information and communication. This was followed by a traineeship in the editorial team. Since September 2020 she has been writing as a freelance journalist for

More posts by Lisa Vogel All content is checked by medical journalists.

Whether to the sea in Croatia or to the Austrian mountains: If the trend in the corona numbers continues, some borders in Europe will be open again from June 15. Where are holidaymakers allowed to go from when?

The border opening in Europe planned for mid-June gives rise to hope that, contrary to expectations, we will also be able to spend the summer holidays abroad. Some countries are preparing - others still have high hurdles to overcome. An overview:

Austria: Open borders and sights

The relief is great in the Alpine republic. Many holidaymakers had already booked their summer stay in the land of mountains and lakes before the Corona crisis. There is much to suggest that they are now allowed to arrive. The Germans are by far the most important group of guests. You are in a country with currently extremely low corona numbers.

Important tourist facilities such as museums, mountain railways and amusement parks should reopen over the next few weeks. From Friday, this will also include the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, which was once inhabited by Empress Sisi. However, visitors must wear mouth and nose protection. The cultural scene is still in the air. Theaters, concerts and festivals do not yet know exactly whether, when and under what conditions they will be allowed to play in front of an audience again.

Italy: South Tyrol opens hotels

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has given his own compatriots hope for a summer vacation on the beach. But whether and when tourists from abroad will be allowed to return to Italy is still in the stars. In any case, South Tyrol has rushed ahead and opens hotels again at the end of May - and is vying for German tourists.

Meanwhile, the country is getting lost in sometimes absurd discussions about distance rules on the beach, in the sea and for children while digging in the sand. Lido operators are up against suggestions that rows of parasols must be up to five meters apart or that sun loungers should be disinfected after each change. Access should only be given with advance bookings. At the moment this is still a long way off: even the Italians are currently not allowed to travel from one region to the other.

Spain: borders still closed

Any Spain plans for summer 2020 for international holidaymakers are still shaky. So far the borders are closed. Even the Spaniards are still forbidden to travel to other regions of their country. In addition, from May 15, people entering Spain from abroad must be in quarantine for two weeks. The measure should apply until the corona alarm condition ends.

However, there are gradual easing, even if it is not yet clear what that means for tourism. At least in parts of the country, hotels were allowed to reopen under strict conditions. "The effects of Covid-19 on tourism are simply brutal," wrote the newspaper "El Periódico". But at least: From June, Lufthansa and its subsidiary Eurowings want to send holiday jets to the Balearic island of Mallorca, which is less affected by the virus.

Greece: Tourism from July 1st

Athens wants to allow all movements within the country from May 18th. Tourism should start again from July 1st. In the holiday resorts by the sea, the loungers and parasols at the pool or on the beach should be about three to five meters away from each other. There is much discussion about whether the meals should be served buffet style or at the table.

So that the virus does not spread, the beds in the rooms should not be made daily. Tourism is extremely important to the country that had left its great economic crisis behind. Last year, 33 million tourists came.

France: Beaches open sporadically

For two months, the French were only allowed to view their often beautiful beaches from a distance. With the easing of the exit restrictions, that is now changing. Regional authorities decide which beaches on the Mediterranean, Atlantic and North Sea will reopen. In the Loire-Atlantique department in western France, two beaches have already opened for swimming and fishing; others in the north and south of the country are to follow.

There is still a travel ban on the Mediterranean island of Corsica - no tourists are welcome there for the time being. No opening date has yet been set for hotels, restaurants and cafes. This is not to be decided until the end of May. Even with sights such as the Eiffel Tower, it is unclear when tourists can visit it again. Big museums like the Louvre in Paris are unlikely to open their doors until September. Smaller museums can already receive visitors again.

Turkey: Vacation possible from June

Turkey is gradually easing the corona measures and is preparing to open up to tourism. In the meantime, travel restrictions only apply to 15 instead of the previous 31 cities and provinces. The country plans to start domestic travel at the end of May and hopes for international vacationers in June.

Strict Corona requirements should apply to hotels and restaurants. For example, distance and hygiene rules must be adhered to, and the staff should receive pandemic training. Turkey has developed a certification program for this purpose. After the opening for international flights, corona tests are to be carried out at the border crossings, for example at Antalya Airport. The semi-state airline Turkish Airlines had last extended its flight stop until May 28th.

Croatia: Relaxed entry requirements since May 9th

The country on the Adriatic, which is heavily dependent on tourism, with its long, bay-rich coast and many islands, is urgently pushing for the European borders to be opened. Relaxed entry regulations have been in effect since May 9th. Accordingly, foreigners are allowed to cross the border without a corona test and without quarantine requirements for three reasons:

• If you own a property or a boat in Croatia
• When traveling to a funeral
• if they have been invited by a company and there is an economic interest in their entry.

An informal directive from the Ministry of the Interior states that the last provision also applies to holidaymakers who have booked accommodation in Croatia. The authorities are also working on new rules to prevent excessive crowds on the beaches.

Netherlands: All campsites will open from July

The Holland vacation is possible again. Bungalow parks are already gradually opening their doors and holiday apartments are being rented out again. From July 1st, all campsites and holiday parks are to be fully reopened. So far this has only applied to a limited extent. For example, showers and toilets had to remain closed on campsites. The sanitary facilities will also be open again on beaches and in nature parks from July 1st.

Museums will be able to receive visitors again from June 1st - provided they register online beforehand. Restaurants, cafes, beach pavilions and pubs are also allowed to cater for a maximum of 30 guests each. From July up to 100 guests are allowed.

Poland: No entry for tourists until June 12th

The country will adhere to controls at its borders with other EU countries until June 12th. Foreigners are not allowed in. So far, exceptions have been made for people with permanent residence permits, truck drivers and diplomats.

Hotels and shopping centers have been open again since May 4th. In a further step to end the lockdown, restaurants and cafes will be allowed to reopen from next Monday (May 18th). However, there must be a minimum distance of two meters between the tables. Cooks and cellars are also required to wear mouth and nose protection. Hairdressing salons and cosmetic studios are also allowed to open from next Monday.

Egypt: opening still unclear

It is still unclear when normality will return to popular beach resorts such as Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh. Hotels are now allowed to reopen for local holidaymakers at 25 percent occupancy and from June 1 at 50 percent occupancy. Among other things, hotels must provide disinfectants at the entrance and disinfect guests' luggage on arrival and departure.

When the borders open again, it should also be ensured at airports that travelers can keep a minimum distance from one another. Experts estimate that the Egyptian tourism industry is missing out on revenue of one billion US dollars per month because of the pandemic. (dpa / lv)

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