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its 2019 level in 2021. However, the negative impact on GDP of the large fall in exports should be mitigated by the high import component of tourism exports,” said the report.
Croatia is preparing for a fall in tourist overnight stays that could range from
a best-case scenario of 60% to a worst- case scenario of 90% this year, Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli said on April 1, outlining three possible scenarios.
A report from S&P puts Albania and Montenegro among 15 countries that will see huge consequences for their tourism sectors from the pandemic,
a list that also includes Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Cape Verde, and Fiji. “The impact is expectedly large for ... small tourist-driven economies such as Barbados, Aruba, Belize, Cape Verde, Montenegro, and Albania,” the analysis released in March showed.
Meanwhile, the Slovenian Tourist Board expects the sector to experience a 60-70% contraction this year. Previous economic crises have been brutal on tourism, but the sector has been able to recover fairly quickly. The coronavirus pandemic is different, according to officials from the tourist board.
Smaller providers of tourist accommodation could open the doors
in mid-May, and the standards for
their operation will be set by a working group. The tourist sector meanwhile,
is calling on the country to help them provide liquidity. With the tourism industry projected to remain shut down longer due to coronavirus than most other sectors, the Slovenian government is considering extending temporary emergency aid for tourism companies
by a few months or even until the end
of the year. After the sharp decline,
the recovery is expected to be long, maybe several years, depending on
how successfully the virus is contained, when borders reopen, and when tourism providers are allowed to operate again.
“COVID-free corridors”
However, as many countries across Central and Southeast Europe have managed to subdue the virus – with new
daily cases now being reported in the single or low double figures – there are hopes that bringing in tourists from the region could ensure hotels, restaurants and other tourism-oriented businesses do not lose out entirely.
Several governments are currently negotiating bilateral agreements to allow tourists from specific countries
to make tourist trips to destinations such as Croatia and Greece. The Croatian government is considering creating “tourist corridors” to enable Czech holidaymakers to visit this summer, Cappelli told state radio station HRT on April 21. Creating the so-called corridors would make it possible for Czechs – who would first need a certificate to show they are free from the coronavirus – to visit Croatia. Similar measures could be put in place for tourists from other nearby countries such as Austria and Hungary.
Zagreb is also looking to domestic tourists to help rescue the holiday season, Cappelli said on April 15, according to a government statement. However, domestic tourists are unable to save the tourist season single-handedly: their share in total traffic in the last two years has been around 12%, and foreign tourists tend to be bigger spenders.
Albanian Tourism Minister Blendi Klosi announced that the government in Tirana is also negotiating with certain countries and airlines so that international tourists may be able to come to Albania via charter flights and stay in hotels while following all the appropriate physical distancing rules. Klosi said that Albania first expects
to receive tourists from neighbouring Kosovo, and then other countries.
Meanwhile, the head of Albania's tourist operators in the south of the country, Vasil Bedini, said that tourism service operators have already prepared packages for tourists and are just waiting for the relevant authorities to give them the green light.
Romania might establish “green corridors” to Greece, the most popular destination for Romanian tourists,
but with no end to the lockdown in Romania currently in sight, this remains a far-off prospect. Meanwhile, Germany is reportedly negotiating similar agreements to allow its nationals to visit Greece and the Balearics.
Controlled tourism
It sounds like the opposite of a relaxed beach holiday, but “controlled tourism” is the subject of discussion as officials try to find ways to allow beaches, hotels and restaurants to open safely. This could, for example, see beachgoers sunbathing in marked off areas separated by plexiglass screens.
In Montenegro, where the tourism ministry recently announced it is drafting a plan how to make the season possible, Damir Davidovic, state secretary at the ministry, said earlier in May that the government will allow a single family to use 16 sqm of beach. Umbrellas and other beach facilities will be disinfected daily. Davidovic explained this would be a new sort of tourism – controlled tourism.
Klosi revealed similar plans for the re-opening of Albania’s tourism industry at the end of April as the number of
new coronavirus infections started to decrease. According to Klosi, the tourism industry will be re-opened after certain conditions are met such as keeping physical distances.
New regulations for visiting the beaches will allow no more than four people within a 10-sqm area. Arrival of large groups of tourists in small spaces will be banned. Local media reported that many Albanians already flocked to beaches during the May 1 holiday after authorities eased restrictions.
The government's plan also envisages that accommodation facilities should provide a certificate with “Controlled Structure” logo, which will require businesses to adhere to protocols for sanitary and hygiene standards necessary to protect the health of the visitors.
Black Sea confusion
Compared to the Adriatic tourist resorts, plans are less advanced in the Black Sea countries of Bulgaria and Romania.
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