“A European race to see who will restart tourism first will lead to unacceptable risks,” Foreign Minister of Germany told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

Maas referred to the high infection rate in the Austrian ski resort of Ischgl, where many German tourists are believed to have been infected.

“We have already experienced what an infection cluster in a popular holiday resort can do in the home countries of tourists. This must not happen again,” he said, Reuters reported.

Hundreds of tourists from countries including Germany, Norway, and Iceland are believed to have been infected in Ischgl, which is near the point where Austria, Switzerland, and Italy meet and is renowned for its party scene.

The local authorities have been widely accused of responding too slowly as it is now clear the virus found a breeding ground in crowded apres-ski bars at various resorts and spread in Ischgl for a month before it was quarantined on March 13.

Austrian authorities lifted coronavirus quarantines this week at three of the country’s top ski resorts, including Ischgl, removing the restrictions days before they were due to expire.

The country has suggested a staggered resumption of tourism, initially allowing German visitors in, rather than a full restart of the European Union’s suspended open-border pact.

Maas said Europe needs to agree on common criteria for a way back to the freedom of travel “as quickly as possible, but as responsibly as necessary”.

“We must not let the hard-won successes of the last few weeks be ruined,” said Maas, adding that otherwise there would be travel restrictions for much longer.

Meanwhile, the German Travel Association (DRV) said 60% of travel agencies and tour operators see themselves directly threatened by insolvency, a survey of member companies published in the Bild am Sonntag showed.

According to the survey, every fifth company has already laid-off employees, and 80% have applied for state aid.

The post Germany Warns against Quick Tourism Restarting appeared first on Iran News Daily.

In an Instagram post on Saturday, Abdolnaser Hemmati, the CBI chief added, “Today, I, along with First Vice President [Es’haq Jahangiri], attended a meeting with those involved in the domestic tourism, cultural heritage and handicrafts sectors. The officials of these sectors, as well as the heads of the related associations, expounded on the problems they face due to the coronavirus contagion in the country at a time when their activities should have been at their peak,” IRNA reported.

Hemmati said under normal circumstances, hotels, tourism and handicraft centers as well as travel agencies in Iran reach the peak of their activities and income generation during the New Year holidays (March 20-April 1), adding this year, their activities were completely suspended during the high season.

In the meeting, he added, they presented remarkable proposals concerning the postponement of the due date for the payment of the installments and receiving new loans to prevent further harm to their businesses.

The CBI governor also stressed that the biggest harm the virus causes is endangering lives of Iranian people, which is far less important than its negative economic impacts.

The CBI governor gave the assurance that the country’s banking system will provide with maximum assistance domestic tourism sector businesses harmed by the coronavirus spread, as prosperity will be restored to the sector only if the situation in the country returns to normal and the spread of the virus is fully contained.

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