German tourism body: Lockdown cost industry 24 bln euros in March/April - report

Lockdown has cost Germany's tourism industry 24 billion euros ($26.04 billion) in March and April alone, the sector's industry association said, calling in an interview with the RND media group for immediate state aid for the sector's smallest firms.

The association's head, Reinhard Meyer, said he expected only a gradual return to normality. He added that a resumption of day trips would only be possible in late summer at the earliest, with strict rules likely to be necessary to stop domestic beaches from becoming overcrowded.

"We need a great deal of discipline," he said, warning holidaymakers that if they failed to do be disciplined when tourism restarted, it would endanger the future of the sector. ($1 = 0.9216 euros)