Austria’s Minister of Tourism Elisabet Koestinger said she was looking into allowing tourists from Germany and other countries that have controlled the pandemic to visit Austria. Last summer, German tourists accounted for more than 30 percent of all arrivals. Koestinger warned, however, that the freedom to travel would remain limited in the coming months and encouraged Austrians to vacation domestically in order to help the economy. She knows that given the country’s dependence on foreign tourists, travel bans will inflict a heavy blow to the economy. By the end of April, the government plans to present a plan for the gradual opening of the restaurant and tourism sectors.
