Germany has now again issued travel warnings to large parts of the globe. Actually, one wanted to say goodbye to the practice of blanket warnings, but currently only 60 states are without this flaw stamped by the Federal Republic.

Before the corona pandemic, travel warnings usually meant that there could be a serious danger to safety or even to life and limb. At the beginning of the crisis, the Federal Republic issued a general travel warning for the entire globe. Some mass media have erroneously reported that foreign travel is not allowed. This was never the case, but many entry and quarantine regulations were so strict that it was almost impossible for non-citizens to enter the destination country. On top of that, accommodation facilities were officially closed in many places.

In October 2020, Germany said goodbye to the blanket travel warning. In the further course, the categories "risk area" and "high incidence area" were abolished and only "high-risk areas" and "virus variant areas" were listed. However, the two "new" classifications are always associated with a travel warning.

It is officially said that the seven-day incidence no longer plays a role, but it has been observed in the recent past that this is apparently still the main criterion. In Austria, for example, the number of deposits in hospitals is extremely low, but the seven-day incidence, which does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the actual state of health, is high. Irrespective of this, Austria ended up back on the list of "high-risk areas" and the associated travel warning was issued.

In the meantime, the Federal Republic has put so many states on its "red list" that there can almost be talk of a blanket travel warning again. Worldwide, Germany does not classify only 60 countries with this characteristic. However, the reasons are often difficult or even incomprehensible, because areas are also affected in certain areas that are in a much better position than Germany when it comes to Corona.

Many tour operators no longer take travel warnings seriously

But the real problem lies elsewhere, because before the pandemic it was normal for package tours to be canceled and/or rebooked free of charge in the event of travel warnings. Many airlines were also accommodating and at least made it possible to change the flight date. In the meantime, more and more tour operators see things completely differently, because it is argued that the travel warnings, which are sometimes pronounced club-like, are difficult or impossible to understand.

Alltours advanced as the first German tour operator and no longer grants free booking changes or cancellations in the event of travel warnings. Unless a paid flexi-package was added in the course of purchasing the package tour. More and more tour operators are clandestinely copying this model and also strictly refuse to carry out cancellations free of charge in the event of travel warnings. Needless to say: Of course there are packages that are subject to a fee, which should at least enable rebooking.

The bottom line is that travel warnings have lost their deterrent effect and are no longer taken seriously by the tourism industry or by many travelers. However, there is a problem that many holidaymakers do not consider: In the small print of travel insurance there are often clauses that exclude any claim for cover if you travel to an area that is subject to a travel warning. If the worst comes to the worst, this can have fatal financial consequences, because you are left with all the costs that you could have submitted to the insurance company. In addition, it should be pointed out that the principle applies to almost all insurance policies that insurance cover only lapses if a travel warning already existed at the time of entry into the destination country. If this is pronounced during the holiday, there is almost always cover protection. So: Before traveling to an area with a travel warning, be sure to read the small print of any insurance carefully.

Insurance companies also charge extra

Some providers of travel insurance have now also discovered the word "travel warning" as a business model, because some insurance companies forgo the usual exclusion for a hefty surcharge. Occasionally there are formulations such as "Corona travel warnings". This is obviously intended to ensure that an obligation to pay could arise in areas with “real warnings”, i.e. due to political instability, civil wars and the like.

Even if vaccinated and recovered people coming from high-risk areas do not currently have to be in quarantine, they should keep in mind that possible restrictions in the area of ​​travel insurance also apply to them. The clauses are not linked to the “Green Passport”, but to travel warnings.

The bottom line is that Germany should reconsider the current practice of classifying high-risk areas, because the private sector has now discovered this fact as a business model. This is not only financially more expensive for consumers, but also quite risky if travel warnings are issued for really important reasons and tour operators then object because an expensive flexible package is missing. As crazy as that sounds, there are many people who have saved up for a vacation for a long time and before the money is gone, you fly into a real problem region. And there are indeed numerous states that are very unstable or have unpredictable military juntas, but at the same time they are popular vacation spots.