Tourism crisis: Why Schwerin is fighting for guests!

Tourism crisis: Why Schwerin is fighting for guests!

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Deutschland - In the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania tourism industry, the mood remains. Lars Schwarz, President of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association in the state, describes the current situation as sobering. This can be seen not only in the way guests book - at short notice and usually less generous - but also in the continuing difficulties that the industry is burdening. According to nordkurier.de there is a remarkable consumption that is in the recent survey of northern German industrial and trade chambers (IHK) reflected.

The IHKs from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, which represented almost 900,000 companies, reported on a survey in which around 600 companies from the tourism industry took part. The results clarify that the business climate index in the hospitality industry remained almost the same with 89 points, while the travel industry had to accept a decline from 111 to 107 points. The economic climate index is a yardstick for the mood in the industries, whereby values ​​from 0 to a catastrophic up to 200 indicate a very good location.

challenges in the hospitality industry

The descriptions of the companies are not rosy. High costs, such as energy and food, as well as an acute lack of personnel make economic action difficult. In the current situation, 70 percent of the hospitals rate their situation as good or satisfactory, but 30 percent see black. A terrifying picture shows up in the future expectations: 16 percent of the companies hope for a positive turn, while 33 percent fear a less favorable development. The greatest risk here is the labor costs that 84 percent of the companies feel problematic.

Another problem is the uncertain economic policy framework, which are considered threatening by 60 percent of those surveyed. The geopolitical location also gives reason to worry; Wars and crises have a negative impact on international travel, which in turn affects the travel industry in the region.

The mood in the travel industry

The travel industry has also experienced a difficult phase. The economic climate index for this area is 107 points, which is a decline compared to the previous year. Just 37 percent of companies in this sector feel their situation as good, while 11 percent are worried. The majority sees the economic policy framework as a central challenge and looks at the coming season with concern. The expectations for the business situation have deteriorated significantly compared to spring 2023. The focus is on cost increases and the lack of specialists.

The current survey, which was carried out on almost 850 companies from the tourism and travel industry, shows that the industry is in an unhealthy constitution. The business climate index in the hospitality industry fell from 112 to 99 and in the travel industry from 133 to 117 points. However, whether the region can master the challenges remains questionable. Flexibility in working hours and reforms in corporate tax law are necessary to stabilize the economic environment.

The North German Tourism Conference of the IHK North, which is due to take place on February 22, 2024 in Papenburg, could possibly provide new impulses and offer space for discussions how the industry can recover. The presence and exchange among the operating owners could help develop a good knack for future challenges.