More than half of Germans have no holiday plans this year due to coronavirus
Many Germans are not in the holiday mood this year or are planning to stay at home because of the pandemic, a new survey has found.
Compulsory masks on trains and planes, distance rules on beaches and in restaurants, scaled-back leisure programmes in tourist resorts: there's no doubt the 2020 holiday season is going to be very different compared to previous years.
And people in Germany are anticipating the changes, according to the survey conducted by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of DPA.
Overall, one in three respondents, or 22 percent, expect "severe" restrictions, while 11 percent expect "very severe" restrictions if they go on holiday this year.
Meanwhile, just over half (54 percent) of Germans believe their holidays will be "somewhat restricted". Yet nine percent hope for a vacation like in normal times.
READ ALSO: From beach apps to day trip bans - the planned measures for German seaside visitors
A total of 2,066 people participated in the survey between June 17th and 19th.
More than one in three respondents (35 percent) said they were not in a holiday mood at all this year, while 22 percent have mixed feelings about going away.
Every fifth person (21 percent) has scaled-back their holiday plans, while 51 percent of all respondents say they have no holiday plans at all this year.
Of those who are planning a holiday, 36 percent intend to travel within Germany, and 30 percent – despite coronavirus – intend to go abroad over the course of the year. A total of 11 percent intend to travel within their own region, while 20 percent are planning holidays at home.
But those looking to snap up a holiday home will have to be quick because accommodation is filling up in well-known German tourist destinations such as the North and Baltic Sea areas.
Making up for lost time?
The Easter travel season was completely cancelled this year because of coronavirus lockdowns across Europe. Do many people plan to use the summer travel season to compensate for the lost spring holidays?
Yes, said around one in five people planning a holiday. A total of 14 percent now want to take a "slightly bigger" holiday, while five percent want a "significantly bigger" vacation.
But 79 percent of respondents say they don't want to compensate for the Easter trip with a longer or more expensive holiday.
The fact that many resorts are likely to have fewer tourist and gastronomy offers than usual because of the pandemic is dampening the mood of some.
A total of 36 percent find this "rather negative" or "very negative".
But just under a third (29 percent) of those surveyed see fewer tourist offers than usual to be "rather positive" or even "very positive" – after all, this probably means less hustle and bustle in popular holiday destinations.
Ban on Gütersloh holidaymakers
Meanwhile, for people from the Gütersloh district in western Germany, holiday planning is even more tricky.
Just before the start of school summer holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia, travellers from the district, which is currently on lockdown, have been told they are no longer welcome everywhere due to the massive outbreak at the Tönnies meat processing plant.
READ ALSO: What you need to know about Germany's new local coronavirus lockdowns
Earlier this week authorities in the German island of Usedom turned away a couple from the district who had come to spend their holiday there.
Lower Saxony announced on Wednesday a ban on accommodation for tourists from the region who can't show a negative coronavirus test. Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein have also announced restrictions on people visiting from the area.
Vocabulary
Travel season - (die) Reisesaison
Restricted - eingeschränkt
Maskenpflicht in Zügen und Flugzeugen - Obligation to wear masks on trains and planes
Hustle and bustle - (der) Trubel
We're aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.
Comments
See Also
Compulsory masks on trains and planes, distance rules on beaches and in restaurants, scaled-back leisure programmes in tourist resorts: there's no doubt the 2020 holiday season is going to be very different compared to previous years.
And people in Germany are anticipating the changes, according to the survey conducted by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of DPA.
Overall, one in three respondents, or 22 percent, expect "severe" restrictions, while 11 percent expect "very severe" restrictions if they go on holiday this year.
Meanwhile, just over half (54 percent) of Germans believe their holidays will be "somewhat restricted". Yet nine percent hope for a vacation like in normal times.
READ ALSO: From beach apps to day trip bans - the planned measures for German seaside visitors
A total of 2,066 people participated in the survey between June 17th and 19th.
More than one in three respondents (35 percent) said they were not in a holiday mood at all this year, while 22 percent have mixed feelings about going away.
Every fifth person (21 percent) has scaled-back their holiday plans, while 51 percent of all respondents say they have no holiday plans at all this year.
Of those who are planning a holiday, 36 percent intend to travel within Germany, and 30 percent – despite coronavirus – intend to go abroad over the course of the year. A total of 11 percent intend to travel within their own region, while 20 percent are planning holidays at home.
But those looking to snap up a holiday home will have to be quick because accommodation is filling up in well-known German tourist destinations such as the North and Baltic Sea areas.
Making up for lost time?
The Easter travel season was completely cancelled this year because of coronavirus lockdowns across Europe. Do many people plan to use the summer travel season to compensate for the lost spring holidays?
Yes, said around one in five people planning a holiday. A total of 14 percent now want to take a "slightly bigger" holiday, while five percent want a "significantly bigger" vacation.
But 79 percent of respondents say they don't want to compensate for the Easter trip with a longer or more expensive holiday.
The fact that many resorts are likely to have fewer tourist and gastronomy offers than usual because of the pandemic is dampening the mood of some.
A total of 36 percent find this "rather negative" or "very negative".
But just under a third (29 percent) of those surveyed see fewer tourist offers than usual to be "rather positive" or even "very positive" – after all, this probably means less hustle and bustle in popular holiday destinations.
Ban on Gütersloh holidaymakers
Meanwhile, for people from the Gütersloh district in western Germany, holiday planning is even more tricky.
Just before the start of school summer holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia, travellers from the district, which is currently on lockdown, have been told they are no longer welcome everywhere due to the massive outbreak at the Tönnies meat processing plant.
READ ALSO: What you need to know about Germany's new local coronavirus lockdowns
Earlier this week authorities in the German island of Usedom turned away a couple from the district who had come to spend their holiday there.
Lower Saxony announced on Wednesday a ban on accommodation for tourists from the region who can't show a negative coronavirus test. Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein have also announced restrictions on people visiting from the area.
Vocabulary
Travel season - (die) Reisesaison
Restricted - eingeschränkt
Maskenpflicht in Zügen und Flugzeugen - Obligation to wear masks on trains and planes
Hustle and bustle - (der) Trubel
We're aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.