18 February 2021

Preview of holidays, traveling 2021: Can the population's compliance with the three basic rules - masks, distance, hygiene - bring back pre-pandemic 'freedom'?

Currently, hotels in Austria are closed except for business travelers or for people who use hotel rooms as an alternative to the home office. It's not allowed to sell hotel rooms for vacation stays. It's very possible that with the upcoming Easter holidays (Easter Sunday is 2021 on 4th April), the restrictive measures will be eased. As far as we have learned during the last 12 months, the virus is tricky. Therefore the rules had to be adjusted continuously. The main rules - masks, distance, hygiene, were obligatory in the past and will be necessary in future, no doubt. It's very possible that a new square meters per person-rule will apply to spa areas or fitness studios. One way or another, the hospitality and recreation industry will be allowed very probably to offer their services in around one month. For sure, nobody knows exactly how the future, even the near future will look like, but the first hints are given by specialists who speak about the necessity of the three basics - masks, distance, hygiene - for regaining pre-pandemic 'freedom' for traveling and vacation.

Since last year, Corona-related free cancellations of bookings are common. So, whatever the near future brings, tourism regions present already vacation offers such as in the western federal state Vorarlberg the Alpenregion Vorarlberg for the winter season (until 30 April) and for summer offers like the 'DreamAlive Lodge' at Grosses Walsertal. The DreamAlive Lodge is a brand new project in the mountains. The technically refined hut is equipped like a hotel room and is dedicated to the experience of nature. The bed can be moved outside.

Image: DreamAlive Lodge, Grosses Walsertal, Vorarlberg (dreamalive.world/walsertal). The spa area of the hotel and all services like gastronomy are nearby.
Photo: © DreamAlive, photographer: DreamAlive.