The German government is undertaking an emergency program to bring back thousands of citizens stranded overseas due to the coronavirus outbreak.

It has struck a deal with airlines to fly tourists back on special flights, particularly from Morocco, the Domincan Republic, the Philippines, the Maldives, and Egypt.

Read more: Coronavirus crisis: What travelers now need to know

Details of the mission

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas described the procedure as a "Luftbrücke" invoking memories of the extraordinary Berlin airlift program that flew supplies into a cut-off West Berlin during the Cold War.

Specifically, he said:

The government had set aside €50 million for the program, which will focus on package holiday tourists.

There was a particular urgency in Morocco, where between 4,000 and 5,000 Germans are stranded.

General rules for returnees would apply, and did not suggest there would be a general quarantine.

Tourists should remain patient as "we won't be able to offer a 24 hour-solution in every case."

Read more: Coronavirus: How are Germany's biggest airports coping?

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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 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 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.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Travel warnings for Paris and Côte d'Azur On Monday evening (Aug 24) the German government issued a travel warning for the greater Paris area and large parts of the French Mediterranean coast becuase of the increased coronavirus infection rates. The regions of Île-de-France and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur have also been included in the updated list of risk areas compiled by the Robert Koch Institute.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism First Mediterranean cruise has set sail With 2,500 instead 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 lifts travel warning for four Turkish regions Germans can again travel to Turkey. The German government has partially lifted the travel warning for the four popular coastal provinces of Antalya, Izmir, Aydin and Mugla. Travelers must be tested for coronavirus before returning to Germany. The costs of between €15 and 30 must be paid by the traveler. Turkey is one of the most popular holiday destinations for Germans.

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 Eiffel Tower summit open again Visitors to Paris can finally visit the top of the Eiffel Tower again — the third level of the world-famous landmark opened on July 15. The number of tickets available is limited, in order to assure social distancing measures between visitors. Distancing is also in effect at the Disneyland Paris amusement park, which is opening its doors again after a four-month obligatory closure.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism End of the party Due to illegally held parties, Mallorca has ordered the forced closure of restaurants at Ballermann and Magaluf, resort areas visited by German and British tourists. The regulation came into effect on July 15 for two months. The behavior of a few vacationers and local owners should not jeopardize the huge efforts to fight the pandemic, said Balearic Tourism Minister Iago Negueruela.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Stricter face mask rules on Balearic Islands On Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands, the regulations for wearing face masks have been tightened. To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, mouth and nose protection must be worn from July 13 in all enclosed public spaces as well as outdoors, whenever it is possible to encounter other people. On the beach, at the pool and during sports, however, masks are still not mandatory.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Flights overshadowed by fear Holiday flights within Europe are on the move again, with passengers sitting close together. According to an opinion poll by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), 62% of those questioned are afraid of being infected by passengers in the next seat. This was identified by IATA as the main reason for the decline in willingness to travel, which is now only 45%.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism EU relaxes entry restrictions Starting from July 1, people from third countries with low infection rates may enter the EU again as regular travelers. These countries are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. China will only be considered if it also lifts its entry restrictions for Europeans.

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Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism 'Re-open EU': A website with travel rules for Europe Entry regulations, masks, quarantine? The new EU overview website "reopen.europa.eu" provides information on the coronavirus rules of individual EU countries — and in 24 languages. Tourists can enter their destination country on the website and find out about regulations that apply there. So far, the site contains information on 27 EU countries and is to be continuously updated.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Germany's borders are open again During the night of June 15, the federal police ended the border controls that had been introduced three months ago due to the coronavirus crisis. Complete freedom of travel between Germany and its neighboring countries is back in effect. At the same time, the Foreign Office's travel warnings for 27 European countries ended.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism German government extends worldwide travel ban The beaches of the world people dream of, like here on Ko Phi Phi in Thailand, will have to do without German tourists. The German government has extended the travel warning for tourists due to the coronavirus pandemic for more than 160 countries outside the EU until August 31. However, exceptions can be made for individual countries where the spread of the virus has been sufficiently contained.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Tourist pilot project launched on Mallorca Some 6,000 Germans will be the first foreign tourists to be allowed to travel to the Balearic Islands from June 15. According to Spanish media, the pilot project is intended to test the security precautions at airports and hotels before all of Spain opens its borders on July 1. Germany was chosen because the epidemiological situation there is similar to that on the Balearic Islands.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Italy reopened for Europeans Starting on June 3, tourists from Europe have been allowed to enter Italy again, the country that was one of the worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic worldwide. A two-week quarantine for travelers from Europe was no longer required. This should save the travel season. Italians will again be able to move freely throughout the country and travel to other regions.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Aida cancels cruises until end of July The 14 cruise ships of the German Rostock-based shipping company Aida Cruises will remain in port until July 31. In many holiday destination countries the regulations for international tourism were still being discussed, the company announced. The Italian shipping company Costa also extended the cruise suspension for its fleet until July 31.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Colosseum and other sights in Italy open again Rome's 2,000-year-old landmark could finally be visited again from June 1, and the Vatican Museums also reopened on that day. Ancient Pompeii, south of Naples at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, welcomed visitors early, but only those from within the country. Foreign tourists had to wait until June 3 to visit the ancient sites.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Tourism on Greek islands restarts From May 25, Greece's islands were accessible again by plane and ferry for domestic tourists. Taverns, bars and cafes reopened nationwide. Ferries were to sell only 50% of their tickets, and taverns were only allowed to occupy half of their tables. The list of countries from which foreign tourists can enter Greece without a two-week quarantine was set to be announced at the end of May.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Austria reopens border to Germany The Austrian government has announced that the border with Germany will be opened on June 15. Tourism in Austria has been effectively suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. On May 29, hotels and other accommodation in Austria will be allowed to reopen. Austrian tourism is heavily dependent on guests from Germany.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Start of the season on the North Sea Islands Borkum, Juist (photo) and the other East Frisian islands are happy to be able to greet tourists again, even if it's a limited surge of visitors. Since May 11, overnight stays in holiday apartments and camping sites throughout Lower Saxony have been allowed again. Holidaymakers must stay at least one week. However, day tourists and hotel overnight stays are still prohibited.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Will travel within Europe soon be possible again? Holidaymakers might also be able to travel to the Balearic or Greek Islands in summer. "If there are very few new infections there and the medical care works, one could also think about a summer holiday in those places", the government's commissioner for tourism, Thomas Bareiss, told the Tagesspiegel newpaper. Long-distance travel, however, is likely to be canceled this summer.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Holiday season at the Baltic Sea to start Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is the first federal state to reopen to tourists from all over Germany: From May 25th they can again stay in hotels, guest houses and holiday homes. 60 percent of the bed capacity will be released for this purpose. This means that the tourist season can start with the Whitsun holidays in popular holiday regions like the Baltic Sea and the Mecklenburg Lake District.

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Germany extends worldwide travel warning Germany extended on Wednesday (April 29) its worldwide travel warning due to the coronavirus crisis to at least June 14. The Federal Foreign Office said that "severe and drastic restrictions in international air and travel traffic and worldwide entry restrictions, quarantine measures and restrictions on public life in many countries can still be expected."

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Oktoberfest in Munich canceled Oktoberfest has been canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Bavaria's premier Markus Söder and Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter announced the decision on April 21."It pains us, and it is a great pity," said Söder. But in times of the coronavirus, the danger of infection at the folk festival, which attracts about 6 million visitors annually, would just be too great. Author: Andreas Kirchhoff, Susan Bonney-Cox



Morocco has canceled commercial flights to and from Germany, while ferries have also been stopped, meaning the only way to travel to mainland Spain is via the Spanish exclave of Ceuta.

Travel warning

Maas said there was now a formal warning in place, advising Germans not to leave the country.

"We must prevent other German travellers from getting stranded abroad. For this reason, we decided from now to warn against all tourist travel," he said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday urged all Germans to stop holidaying at home and abroad, as she announced sweeping curbs to keep them indoors to halt the contagion.

Germany normally only issues travel warnings for war zones and crisis areas. The advisory gives a strong legal backing for German tourists seeking a refund for canceled travel plans, likely increasing the chance that people will choose to cancel travel plans.

"Travel warning: From now on we have decided to warn against all unnecessary tourist trips abroad. Hence the urgent request: Stay at home. You will help yourself and others! This travel warning for tourist travel applies worldwide," Maas wrote on Twitter.

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