When it comes to the topic “Holidays in times of COVID-19”, one quickly gets the impression that many people would no longer see the wood for the trees because of constantly new articles in the media. The content of these reports leads to the assumption that all over Europe national interests are in the foreground, also in the media, as long as the holidaymakers spend the money in their own country. However, there are no borders to protect against the corona virus, but ultimately only one’s own protection: Masks, where it makes sense, keep as much distance as possible and observe the hygiene guidelines. In addition, holidaymakers from Germany can now have themselves tested for the coronavirus voluntarily and free of charge when returning home from Croatia.
Viruses do not respect national borders
Wherever all holidaymakers follow these basic rules, the risk of infection with COVID-19 should be reduced to the lowest possible level, regardless of national borders. There is certainly as high a risk of infection on the German Baltic coast, where beach sections have already had to be closed due to the rush of holidaymakers, as on the inland lakes and hiking trails in Germany and Austria. And to tell you the truth, there is also a risk of COVID-19 infection on the Adriatic Sea in Slovenia and Croatia if the rules are not observed.
Figures don’t lie: Croatia is relatively well presented
Nevertheless, in all discussions with a national flavour, one should not ignore the sober figures: According to official EU figures, the number of people infected with COVID-19 per 100,000 inhabitants is 669 in Spain, 576 in Montenegro, 548 in Kosovo, 426 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 414 in Italy, 400 in Serbia, 260 in Germany, 247 in Austria, 135 in Croatia and 107 in Slovenia. Not least for this reason, Croatia has reacted by imposing entry restrictions on travellers from Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, among others, in order to protect its own tourist season.
Absolute avoidance: large crowds and party miles
It only becomes dangerous for the individual when larger crowds of people also consume alcohol: whether on the golden beach in Bulgaria, at the Ballermann on Mallorca, among the party people on the island of Pag/Zrce or in the countless clubs and discos of the holiday centres. Mallorca reacted quickly and closed the party mile at Ballermann. For holidaymakers who spent their holidays on the golden beach in Bulgaria, there is now a quarantine obligation in Germany or a negative corona test. How much longer, remains to be seen.
A few endanger a whole country
At the same time, subliminally perceived blow times such as “Croatia returnees infected with corona” are damaging to tourism throughout the country, because hardly anyone differentiates sufficiently between them: The said “holidaymakers” had travelled to Zrce to celebrate their graduation. But in the end, the whole Croatian population suffers from such party-people – about 30% less tourists than last year is an unexpectedly good tourist result, but one should not forget the off-season and the coming year 2021.
Fewer losses in nautical tourism
Completely unimpressed by these problems, nautical tourism is developing even in times of COVID-19. charter companies are already talking about bookings far into the off-season, where there is obviously a need to catch up after the lockdown in the previous season. No wonder, because on the own boat or yacht the corona virus has almost no chance and distance rules to other boats or yachts are inevitably kept. Although the marinas suffer from the lockdown in the pre-season, hopes are still resting on the coming post-season.
Even boat trade is booming
Even the boat trade is profiting from the Corona crisis: “At the moment you can sell anything that floats” – according to a dealer who prefers not to be named. Also here is a fact: The number of new registrations of boats and yachts in Croatia, measured by the number of permits, increased not insignificantly despite Corona.
And the morale of the whole story: If you are planning a holiday in Croatia, you should look at the numbers soberly, because with COVID-19 you can just as well get infected at home, as examples from Austria and Germany show.
Voluntary free corona tests for German returnees to Croatia
By the way: German holiday returnees, also from Croatia, can voluntarily be tested on Corona at motorway stations and airports on German territory. The German government writes: “All holiday returnees have the opportunity to be tested for the corona virus SARS-CoV-2 within 72 hours of entering Germany, free of charge. Since August 8, every person entering Germany from a risk area is obliged to be tested for corona infection. Those who are negative can then return to their everyday life. In this way a quarantine can be avoided. Test centres have been set up at airports, railway stations and other easily accessible locations for this purpose.