Travel warning for Turkey partially lifted

Christine Albert studied German linguistics and literature as well as Scandinavian studies at the Albert Ludwigs University in Freiburg. She is currently doing a traineeship at Hubert Burda Media and is writing, among other things, for

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What the Turkish government has been demanding for weeks has now happened: The German government has given the go-ahead for vacation trips to the Turkish Mediterranean coast.

After weeks of hesitation, the federal government has lifted the travel warning for the most important Turkish holiday areas. It no longer applies to the provinces of Antalya, Izmir, Aydin and Mugla since Tuesday.

Relatively few new infections

The deputy government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer justified the step with the relatively low number of new infections in these areas and the "special tourism and hygiene concept" developed by the Turkish government. "If the pandemic situation worsens, the travel warning can also be reintroduced for the four provinces mentioned," she emphasized.

The daily number of new infections in Turkey is currently between 900 and 1000 cases per day and thus about as high as in Germany - with about the same population. The Turkish government had repeatedly emphasized that the number of people infected with the coronavirus at the holiday destinations was low.

After Great Britain, Turkey is only the second larger country outside the European Union and the Schengen area free of border controls, for which the travel warning has been partially lifted. The move could now lead to demands from other vacation countries such as Tunisia or Egypt, who are also hoping for tourists from Germany. Other popular vacation destinations for Germans outside of Europe, such as Thailand, do not even allow tourists to enter the country.

Warning for 160 countries

Overall, the travel warning due to the corona pandemic still applies to around 160 countries - initially until August 31. It is not a ban, but it has a significant deterrent effect. However, it also has a positive side: it allows travelers to cancel bookings free of charge.

What is the difference between a travel warning and a risk area? You can read that in the article "Corona: Travel warning or risk area?".

The Turkish government had been pushing for the travel warning to be lifted for weeks. After the Russians, the Germans are the second most important group of holidaymakers on the Turkish Mediterranean beaches. Last year around five million tourists from Germany came to Turkey. Conversely, Turkey is the third most popular travel destination for German holidaymakers after Spain and Italy.

Submission of a negative test

Demmer said that the agreement that has now been reached has made it possible "to make tourism to Turkey possible where it can be brought into line with the necessary requirements for protection against infection". At the same time, it was possible to organize the return traffic from Turkey to Germany in such a way that the risk of new infections entering our country is reduced.

Turkey will require all people who are traveling back to Germany from Turkey to present a negative Corona test certificate when leaving, which must not be older than 48 hours. The tests are to be arranged by the returnees at their own expense (between 15 and 30 euros).

Act responsibly - even on vacation

The Turkish government was satisfied. "We welcome the lifting of Germany's travel warning for our holiday regions," wrote Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu in German and Turkish on Twitter. Cavusoglu comes from Antalya and is therefore particularly committed to the Turkish tourism industry. The Turkish Minister of Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy wrote. "We are ready to receive our German guests as part of the" Certification Program for Healthy Tourism "."

The German tour operators also breathe a sigh of relief. "Good news not only for vacationers, but also for the travel industry," said Norbert Fiebig, President of the German Travel Association (DRV). He also called on vacationers to act responsibly. "We must now on no account endanger the tender plant's freedom of travel." (approx / dpa)

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