Restrictions due to pandemic: Travellers’ overnight stays collapse

The restrictions imposed by the Corona pandemic have effectively brought the business of hotels, guesthouses and other accommodation to a standstill from mid-March.

Overnight stays in Germany fell by 53 percent year-on-year to 15.6 million in the month of the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office announced in Wiesbaden on Friday. It was reported to be by far the largest decline since the beginning of the series in 1992. Since the middle of the month, the pandemic has banned overnight stays for private guests.

Tourism is one of the sectors most affected by the restrictions. The hotel and restaurant association Dehoga expects further sales losses despite the relaxations that have now been decided upon.

“We assume that due to the special conditions and restrictions, the first few months will result in a loss of sales,” Dehoga Chief Executive Ingrid Hartges recently told the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers. According to this, it will take some time before hotels and restaurants generate cost-covering revenues. The association calls for a rescue umbrella for the catering and hotel industry.

The federal and state governments had agreed that the federal states could allow a gradual opening of hotels and restaurants on their own responsibility. In order to prevent the spread of the virus, safety and hygiene requirements must be observed. The economic ministers of the Länder had agreed on a corridor from 9 to 22 May for a nationwide controlled opening.

Overnight stays by guests from abroad fell by 67 percent to 2.0 million in March. Domestic travellers fell 50 percent to 13.6 million. In the first two months of 2020, the number of overnight stays had increased. For the first quarter, the total number of overnight stays fell by 17 percent to a total of 72.4 million overnight stays. Last year, domestic tourism recorded its tenth consecutive overnight record.

The Caravaning Industry Association (CIVD) urged a quick restart in all federal states. The start of the camping season at Easter had already fallen victim to the Corona virus. This makes it all the more important that the important Pentecost business is not also lost.