BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – This year tourism in Germany sees itself on the way to the record level of the time before the corona pandemic. “It is quite possible that we will reach the number of overnight stays from 2019,” said the President of the German Tourism Association, Reinhard Meyer of the German Press Agency about a week before the start of the International Travel Fair ITB in Berlin (March 7th to 9th). An exact forecast is difficult because of the short-term booking behavior of the people, but Germany is likely to remain the favorite travel destination of the majority of Germans this year.
“Some Germans may also forego long-distance travel because of the high inflation or for climate protection reasons and go on vacation in Germany instead,” said Meyer. In addition, the demand from guests from abroad is picking up again, which is particularly beneficial for city tourism. According to provisional figures from the Federal Statistical Office, the number of overnight stays by guests from Germany and abroad was around 9 percent below the pre-corona level last year, at 450.8 million.
The shortage of skilled workers is worrying the industry. “There could therefore be restricted opening hours in the catering trade and with other service providers.” The DTV President recommends that restaurateurs and retailers in tourist locations should coordinate so that they do not all close on the same day. At the same time, Meyer appealed to politicians. “Without the immigration of skilled workers from abroad, the level of supply in tourism cannot be maintained.” Orderly and targeted immigration is crucial. A bottleneck, for example, is the issuing of visas by German embassies in countries outside the European Union./mar/DP/zb
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