According to the plan, the warning is to be replaced by individual travel warnings that point out risks for each individual country. In addition to Germany's 26 partner countries in the European Union, these include Great Britain, which has left the EU, and the four states of the border-free Schengen area, which are not members of the EU: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Here is an overview of the current status on holiday destinations in Europe:

AUSTRIA: For those who travel to Austria on June 15, they will probably have a similar vacation experience as in previous years. The catering industry has already made a fresh start, even if some restaurants are not yet satisfied with revenue. The hotel industry will now follow on Friday. All leisure facilities are allowed to reopen and cultural events are also allowed to take place again, albeit with a little caution. Visitors to Austria should not expect full theaters, but the number of visitors allowed will be steadily increased up to August. For this reason, the Salzburg Festival has also decided to put on performances in its anniversary year - although significantly fewer than originally planned. In the hotels the restrictions are low, no safety distance is required within a group of guests, buffets and a visit to the hotel's own wellness area should also be possible.

ITALY: The Italian government and regional politicians are currently heavily recruiting German tourists, as they make up a large proportion of the visitors. From June 3, EU citizens will be able to enter the country again - without having to go into quarantine. South Tyrol is already heavily courting tourists, especially from Bavaria. Governor Arno Kompatscher even wants to offer tourists free corona tests. The regions of Veneto or Sardinia advertise being "Covid-free" - meaning that the situation is under control, although there have of course been infections there as well. The number of cases in Italy has been declining for a long time. Lombardy has by far the largest number of cases. For German holiday-makers, the decisive factor will be whether they have to go into quarantine after a holiday in Italy or when the travel warning is lifted. Italy is currently hoping for June 15. Austria has already confirmed that German tourists passing through Italy can travel through the Alpine Republic.

SWITZERLAND: Hiking and wellness yes, festivals and concerts no: In Switzerland, major events such as the Lucerne Festival of Classical Music and the Montreux Jazz Festival have been canceled this summer, but there are still plenty of opportunities for hiking and wellness. But restaurateurs and hoteliers have rolled up their sleeves to welcome guests from Germany and elsewhere from June 15 - with hygiene and safety concepts in place. Visitors on cable cars, buses and trains are asked to buy tickets online if possible to avoid queues at the ticket office. Wearing face masks is recommended where spaces could be limited, but it is not compulsory. In restaurants, the tables are distanced. Hotels are allowed to offer wellness, but in the swimming pool, sauna and steam bath the rule is: one person per four square meters of space.

FRANCE: In many areas, tourist accommodations such as campsites or holiday homes may soon reopen for vacationers. In areas classified as green, this will be possible from June 2, announced French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe. The colors green, orange and red indicate how badly the region has been hit by the coronavirus. Only the greater Paris area and the overseas territories of French Guyana and Mayotte are still classified as orange. There, they plan to open accommodations for visitors from June 22. Leisure activities will also be possible again in future. In the green areas, beaches and swimming pools will open again starting June 2. Many were already open with strict rules in place - but the decision was up to the individual districts. Museums and monuments will also open again, and the wearing of masks will be compulsory. Throughout the country, restaurants and cafés will also be allowed to reopen - but in Paris only the outdoor terraces. The inside spaces must remain closed. By the end of June, a large number of tourist destinations in France will reopen.

SPAIN: After a long period of uncertainty, friends of Spain can finally start planning their summer holidays for Mallorca, the Costa del Sol or the Costa Blanca. Over the weekend, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that his country would open its borders to foreign tourists in July. As well, the two-week compulsory quarantine for all those entering the country will be lifted on July 1. Despite the rather successful fight against the virus, "safety first" still applies in the (former) corona hotspot. "We will guarantee that the tourists will not incur any risks and also that they will not cause any risks for us", Sánchez affirmed. According to the media, Madrid is negotiating with countries such as Germany, France, Great Britain and Portugal to establish so-called "safety corridors”.

PORTUGAL: The country wants to gradually reopen itself to foreign tourism. The hotel association AHP recently announced that most hotels could be open again by mid-July. The tourism authority also wants to develop trust with a new hygiene seal called " Clean&Safe". Tourism institutions can apply for it free of charge. Compliance with the regulations is to be checked regularly. Thanks to an early reaction and strict measures, the country on the Atlantic coast was much less affected by Covid-19 than, for example, Spain. Portugal is heavily dependent on tourism, which accounts for about 15 percent of its economic output. In 2019, the holiday regions recorded 27 million guests.

GREECE: Athens has announced its intention to restart tourism from abroad. By May 31, the Greek pandemic crisis team is to announce the list of countries from which tourists can travel without having to enter a two-week quarantine. The number of corona infections is important, according to Greek Tourism Minister Charis Theocharis. He expressed hope that Germany would be among those countries. "We believe, want and hope for that", he said. Initially, flights from abroad will only go to Athens starting on June 15. From July 1, all regional airports will also be opened for flights from abroad. A corona check will be carried out on a random basis at Greek airports for those landing from abroad, Athens announced.

NETHERLANDS: Vacation in Holland will also be possible again. Bungalow parks are already gradually opening their doors and holiday homes are being rented out again. From July 1, all campsites and holiday parks will be fully open again. Until now, this has only been possible to a limited extent. For example, showers and toilets had to remain closed on campsites. Sanitary facilities will also be reopened on beaches and in nature parks from July 1. Museums will be allowed to open to visitors again from June 1 - provided they register online beforehand. Restaurants, cafés, beach pavilions and pubs may serve a maximum of 30 guests each. From July, up to 100 guests are allowed.

BELGIUM: Belgium is carefully working its way out of the corona restrictions - but still controls its borders. This also applies to the border crossings to the German-speaking community in the east of the country. All non-essential entries into the country are prohibited, and the same applies to travel abroad. Particularly in east Belgium there is great displeasure about this. The measures had been announced in March, to stay in place until June 8. They are to be relaxed only in consultation with the respective neighboring countries and if the virus situation on both sides of the border is similar. The North Sea beaches, the Belgian capital of Brussels with the EU institutions, and Wallonia with the Ardennes are all popular tourist destinations.

GREAT BRITAIN: Great Britain is currently not a popular holiday destination for foreign tourists. This will probably remain so for the time being. Starting June 8, the government plans to introduce a two-week quarantine for all travelers coming into the country. Those who do not comply with the self-isolation will be fined 1,000 pounds. Travelers from Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands will be exempt from the quarantine. Each part of the country - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - also has its own regulations in the fight against the pandemic. In England, for example, all restaurants and hotels are closed, but day trips - to the coast and national parks, for example - are allowed.

DENMARK: Denmark will reopen its borders to tourists from Germany, Norway, Iceland and Scandinavia from June 15. This was announced by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen on Friday. Denmark was one of the first countries in Europe to close its borders in the fight against corona, back on March 14. Since then, tourists and other foreigners without a concrete reason for entering the country have not been allowed to enter. Frederiksen had already announced that the government wanted to present a plan "for a controlled and gradual reopening of summer tourism" no later than May 29. Germans who own a summer house in Denmark or want to visit their partner in the country are already allowed to re-enter the country.

SWEDEN: Vacation travel to Sweden is also likely to depend on developments in Denmark. For example, if you want to travel to Sweden by car, you generally travel via Denmark. An alternative could be to travel by ferry from Kiel, Rostock or Travemünde, for example, as these routes will continue to be used. Flights from Germany in the direction of Stockholm or Gothenburg are currently hardly available, and if they are, then only from Frankfurt. Besides that, Sweden has a ban on entry into the country until June 15 - but this does not apply to countries of the EU and the European Free Trade Association.

NORWAY: A summer holiday in the Norwegian fjords is likely to be difficult at this stage. The Norwegian borders have been closed to foreigners for more than two months. Norwegians are allowed to return to their home country, but have to quarantine for ten days. As recently as mid-May, the government announced that vacationers in Norway should expect the entry ban to remain in place until August 20. On Friday, the government announced that at least Danish citizens will be able to travel to Norway from June 15. Later on, the government wants to see if they also open Oslo to people from "individual other nearby European countries". So the status for German tourists remains: wait and see.

ICELAND: The North Atlantic island, which is heavily dependent on tourism, plans to relax its restrictions for international travelers by June 15. Until now, anyone coming to Iceland has to be in quarantine for two weeks. But the Icelandic government wants to offer an alternative soon: Instead of quarantine, tourists who come to Iceland will be given the opportunity to be tested for coronavirus immediately upon arrival. A decision on this is expected at the end of May. It is also planned that tourists will have to download and use a tracing app, which will make it easier to trace chains of infection.

TURKEY: Turkey hopes for tourists again from mid-June and is preparing airports, beaches and hotels. Local media reported on a document of the Civil Aviation Authority, which stipulates, among other things, that everyone in terminals must wear a mask. Those who do not travel, but only say their goodbyes or welcome travelers, are also no longer allowed to enter airport buildings, but must wait outside. The only exceptions are for people who cannot manage without help. International flights of the semi-state-owned company Turkish Airlines will be available again from June 10, domestic flights from June 4. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Ankara has issued a catalog of "Hygiene Instructions", which includes minimum distances for those lounging at hotel pools or on towels. The state news agency Anadolu showed pictures of the well-known Konyaalti beach in Antalya, where visitor areas are marked off with ropes. According to Anadolu, hotels will also use thermal imaging cameras to determine whether guests or employees have a fever. A government certification program for hotels, restaurants and other businesses is also being developed.

CYPRUS: Tourists and travelers from 19 countries will be able to fly to the island of Cyprus without quarantine obligation from June 20. Tourists from these 13 countries will be able to fly to Cyprus without corona testing: Germany, Austria, Malta, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Norway, Denmark and Hungary. Travelers from Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Croatia and Estonia must present a coronavirus test in order to go on holiday in Cyprus. This also applies to the two top countries from which tourists travel to Cyprus: Great Britain and Russia. But according to Perdios, travelers from these countries are not allowed in yet.

CROATIA: This country on the Adriatic Sea, which is heavily dependent on tourism, with its long coast and many islands, can hardly wait for the European borders to finally open. Croatia allows German citizens to enter the country again without having to provide any proof of specific reasons to enter the country. Previously, travelers had to present proof of an accommodation booking or proof of real estate or boat ownership in Croatia at the border. Easing of restrictions also affects the citizens of nine other EU states: Austria, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. In the future, travelers from these countries will only have to explain at the border where they will be staying and how to reach them. This allows them to be found if there are new corona infections in their vicinity. To avoid long waiting times, holiday-makers can download a form from the website “entercroatia.mup.hr".

SLOVENIA: Since May 26, the EU country between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea has been allowing EU citizens to enter with a booking confirmation without corona tests and quarantine requirements. Business travelers and property owners from the EU are also welcome. EU and non-EU citizens can also travel through the small country in transit. This benefits those German holiday-makers who want to travel to Croatia in their own car and have to pass through Slovenia. The country itself has a 46 kilometer long section of the Adriatic Sea with a well-developed tourist infrastructure. Hotels with less than 30 rooms have been open again since May 18. For larger hotels there is still no decision. Restrictions still apply to beach operations: Swimming and surfing are allowed, but not sunbathing on the beach.

CZECH REPUBLIC: There is not yet a firm timetable for the revival of the tourism business, but intensive negotiations are underway with neighboring countries. Prime Minister Andrej Babis has made a complete turn-about and now says it would be great if the borders with Germany and Austria could open as early as mid-June. Germans traditionally make up the largest group of foreign tourists there - in 2019, more than two million overnight guests were from Germany. Prague's Old Town, normally a magnet for people from all over the world, is still very empty for now. In some hostels and hotels, homeless people find temporary accommodation. When the borders open again, travelers will find a country that has been largely spared from the coronavirus.

BULGARIA: The holiday country on the Black Sea is gearing up for a summer season under corona conditions. Bulgaria is one of the countries that is relatively little affected by the corona virus pandemic. "Bulgaria and our Black Sea coast will be one of the safest (corona) places in Europe," emphasized the Chief Inspector of Health and member of the crisis team in Sofia, Angel Kunchev, in view of the upcoming opening of the summer season for foreign tourists. This is to start in June or on July 1 at the latest. Sun loungers have already been set up at distances on the stretches of beaches. Dispensers with disinfectants are to be standard. The hotels are already accepting local tourists. But Bulgaria's tourism is heavily dependent on foreign flights, and there is still no clarity when it comes to that part of the industry.

POLAND: The country will keep controls at the borders with other EU countries until June 12. Foreigners are not allowed in. So far there are exceptions for people with permanent residence permits, truck drivers and diplomats. Hotels and shopping centers have been open again since May 4. Restaurants and cafés are also allowed to open again.

EGYPT: It is not part of Europe, but it is a popular destination for Europeans. It is unclear when normality will return at holiday resorts like Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. However, hotels are now allowed to reopen for local holiday-makers at 25 per cent occupancy and from June 1 at 50 per cent occupancy. Among other things, the operators must provide disinfectant at the entrance and disinfect guests' luggage on arrival and departure. Experts are checking these conditions and issuing a certificate, for which around 170 hotels have applied so far. At Cairo airport, new thermal imaging cameras will also check whether travelers have a fever. But for tourists from abroad, the borders are still closed.

Orig. text: dpa correspondents

Translation: ck