From Hildburg Bruns
The state government is sticking to it: There are none of our taxpayers’ euros for the Christmas lights on the Kudamm!
Economics Senator Stephan Schwarz (57, non-party): “It is absolutely the wrong sign when the Berlin Senate, which calls on all Berliners to save energy, just donates a quarter of a million euros to use energy!”
It’s about the canceled subsidy for the AG City, which wants to hang fairy lights in 554 street trees of the magnificent boulevard in Advent. Schwarz believes that business people can do it themselves.
Economic Senator Stephan Schwarz (57, independent) wants to save electricity Photo: dpa
“AG City is about residents with lucrative businesses and the most expensive real estate,” he says. In other neighborhoods, communities would get involved that would never have received a subsidy.
The question is also: Can a Duster Christmas inspire the tourist comeback? The first half of the year after two years of the pandemic went well: “The Berlin brand has not suffered,” says tourism boss Burkhard Kieker (61).
► In June, hotel occupancy was 80.4 percent – higher than in New York, Paris and London. Room prices in Berlin have risen by up to 20 percent, from an average of 95 to 105 euros. For comparison: Tel Aviv is 385 euros, New York 253 euros.
► 62.8 percent of tourists come from Germany, an increase of almost ten percent compared to before Corona. Leaders in foreign tourists: USA, Great Britain, Netherlands, Spain.
► 25 to 27 million overnight stays are expected by the end of the year. The numbers are currently 27 percent lower than in 2019 before the pandemic.
In September, occupancy could again be 80 percent. And the head of tourism is not afraid of less lights at Christmas either: “I don’t think we need to start a torch festival.”