Germany is still refusing to open its border with Austria despite a request from the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, and some Austrian commentators are even beginning to wonder if the German refusal is part of a campaign targeting Austria.
One thing is certain. If the Germans do not allow their citizens to go on holiday to Austria in the summer, the Austrians will have serious problems, as about half of the foreign tourists who head to Austrian hotels come from Germany.
Austrian tourism is thus essentially dependent on its neighbor.
But if you would expect that these two nations, speaking the same language, will quickly agree on the resumption of tourism, you would be deeply mistaken.
The Germans have so far been very cautious about the Austrian chancellor’s repeated calls to open the border with Austria as soon as possible.
“A European race to see who will allow tourism travel first will lead to unacceptable risks,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told the Bild am Sonntag weekly.