Cologne’s famous Christmas market has been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s Christmas market in Cologne has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The market, which is held at Roncalliplatz in front of the Cologne Cathedral, attracts around 5 million visitors every year.
Organisers feared that, even if stalls were spaced out and access was limited, crowds would still form and it ultimately wouldn’t be safe. “We spent weeks thinking about how we could organise the market in a way that would prevent spreading the virus, but ultimately we couldn’t find a solution,” said Monika Flocke, managing director of the Cologne Christmas Society.
Flocke explained that the risk was just too high. “We don’t want people to fall ill and for the Cologne Christmas market to be known as a hotspot,” she said. “We cancelled the market and sent a letter to all stallholders informing them of the decision.”
Germany’s Christmas markets have become synonymous with the festive season and attract millions of visitors from all over the world every year. They are a significant contributor to the local economy but are facing an uphill struggle to stay open this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Many cities and regions across the country have already begun planning their Christmas markets to try and ensure that they can remain open during the Christmas season. There are fears that the decision to close the Cologne Christmas market this year will lead to the cancellation of other Christmas markets in other cities.