Germany is set to reopen some of its borders this weekend as the European Union unveiled guidelines to boost summer tourism across the continent after months of lockdowns due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

With two months of restrictions on social and commercial life now being gradually lifted in Germany, state leaders in Europe's largest economy have been putting pressure on the federal government to reopen borders with its neighbors.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told journalists in Berlin on Wednesday that Germany's border crossings with Austria, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and perhaps also Denmark will be the first ones to reopen.

France, Spain, and Portugal are also eager to open up for the summer tourism business, while Northern European countries such as Norway and the United Kingdom want to make it easier for seasonal workers to cross borders, according to Deutsche Welle.

Until now, the process of opening borders across the EU has been somewhat haphazard, with some countries making separate agreements to permit citizens from other neighboring countries to enter with no restrictions while requiring others to quarantine for two weeks on arrival.

The country is gradually easing lockdown restrictions this week, with many people returning to work, but President Emmanuel Macron has warned there is still a long way to go.