The specialist groups for travel agencies and hotels in the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber are calling on the federal government to end the 3G entry rules. Former Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) had extended the currently valid regulation until September 30, 2022 immediately before his resignation.

Typically, there was no further communication from the ministry, which is now headed by Johannes Rauch (Greens), about this extraordinarily long extension. In general, the Ministry of Health does not respond to questions that have incomprehensible or vague formulations that leave a lot of room for interpretation.

Now that more and more vaccination certificates of people who have received three stitches are about to expire and the Ministry of Health still hasn't come up with a solution, travel agencies and hotels are getting nervous. The official wording of the smoke ministry is that the topic will be dealt with in the next few weeks.

The Chamber of Commerce sharply criticizes the 3G entry rules, which are currently in place until September 30, 2022: “With the recent noticeable decline in the number of infections, it is now time to adjust the entry regulations for Austria accordingly and to implement the mandatory third -Abolish G-rule. Many other countries in Europe, such as Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, have already taken this step and are now courting guests from abroad. With its strict entry regulations, Austria clearly has a disadvantage here," describe Gregor Kadanka, chairman of the Association of Travel Agencies, and Susanne Kraus-Winkler, chairman of the Association of Hotel Industry in the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKÖ), the current situation on the European tourism market.

The Ukraine war put a damper on the originally positive prospects for tourism in Austria. According to WIFO, the framework conditions are deteriorating again and negative effects on the demand for holidays in Austria must also be expected.

"Nevertheless, after two years of the pandemic, many people have a great desire to travel," says Gregor Kadanka. “We must therefore quickly adapt those factors that we can influence to tourism. The abolition of the 3G rule for entry into Austria would be a necessary step in order not to fall behind the European competitors during the important next few months. Covid measures should also be reconsidered within Austria in view of the falling number of cases,” suggests Kadanka.

“We find ourselves in a competition between destinations. In order to be able to score here, the best possible framework conditions must be created for our companies,” Susanne Kraus-Winkler also supports the call for the abolition of the 3G entry regulation. “Moreover, the validity of the majority of booster vaccinations will expire in the coming weeks and months. Since there is still no recommendation for a fourth vaccination, the abolition of the 3-G entry rule before the summer season is a logical and necessary consequence.”

In addition to the upcoming summer season, incoming tourism and the Austrian hotel industry are already turning their attention to autumn: “We are currently still seeing a great deal of reluctance to make bookings for autumn, for example for congresses. In order to take away the uncertainty from customers and guests and to create the necessary planning security, a Corona concept of measures for a possible autumn/winter wave should be prepared in good time and communicated at an early stage," conclude Kadanka and Kraus-Winkler.