Germany is extending its recommendation to avoid travel until at least June 14th.

The European Commission still hopes for summer tourism.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has warned several times that it is not yet possible to return to normal travel.

”"We have not yet reached a point where we can recommend travel without problems. That is why we have to extend our worldwide travel warning until mid-June," Maas said, according to the AFP news agency.

His state secretary responsible for tourism, Thomas Bareiss, sounds even more pessimistic.

”"Long-distance travel will probably not be possible for a while. Everything is moving forward quite slowly. I think a holiday at home will be the norm this year," Bareiss tells radio station Bayern 2.

The European Commission is still keeping its hopes up. The effects of the Corona crisis on the tourism industry were discussed at Wednesday's regular meeting in Brussels.

Afterwards, a "tourism package" was promised in mid-May, with guidelines on how the opening of travel restrictions could take place in various transport areas.

”"Travel restrictions must be lifted as soon as possible, without discrimination on national grounds, but taking into account the spread of the infection," says EU Commissioner Vera Jourová at a press conference after the meeting.

”"There must not be a situation where you choose who can or cannot enter a country depending on nationality," says Jourová.

The European Commission warns that the tourism industry risks losing 50 percent of its turnover in 2020.

Source: TT