The French government on Thursday recommended to its citizens who want to spend their summer holidays in Europe this year to check how the situation with the coronavirus pandemic is developing before booking.

"I advised them to wait because for now I do not have enough insight into the sanitary situation and what we can do in one, two or three months," said Secretary of State for European Affairs Amélie de Montchaline to RTL radio.

"We must not run in front of the cart. We need to make sure that the second wave has not started," she added, but did not rule out the possibility that the French could spend their summer vacations on the Mediterranean or elsewhere in Europe.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Thursday that the French could spend their summer in France in July and August. Hotels, restaurants and tour operators have been closed since mid-March, and 62,000 tourism companies have used 6.2 billion euros in government loans.

The Secretary of State pointed out that for "European destinations, decisions should be made in a coordinated manner, following the developments in the border areas". For now, only cross-border workers, people with a justified family reason or those returning home can move between France and other EU countries, she reminded. The situation is also complex for tourist trips outside Europe, as many countries have closed borders unilaterally or have an uncertain sanitary situation.