German tourism is on track this year to reach the record levels of the pre-pandemic era, with a greater number of domestic stays filling some gap left by absent foreign visitors.
“It is quite possible that we will reach the overnight stay figures of 2019,” President of the German Tourism Association (DVT), Reinhard Meyer, said, a week ahead of the start of the International Travel Fair in Berlin on March 7.
While an exact forecast is difficult because of people’s short-term booking behavior, Germany is likely to remain the favorite travel destination of the majority of its citizens this year.
“Some German citizens may also forego long-distance travel because of high inflation or for climate protection reasons and instead take their holidays in Germany,’’ Meyer told dpa.
Demand from overseas guests is also picking up again, especially in terms of city tourism.
According to initial government figures, last year overnight stays by guests from Germany and abroad fell short of the pre-COVID-19 level by around 9 per cent, totaling 450.8 million.
However, the industry is concerned about the shortage of skilled workers, which could lead to restricted opening hours in gastronomy and other services, Meyer said.
Restaurateurs and retailers in tourist destinations were advised to coordinate to stagger their working days.
The DVT head also called on politicians to address the labor supply shortage through targeted immigration.
“Without immigration of skilled workers from abroad, the supply level in tourism cannot be maintained.’’
One current bottleneck cited was the issuing of visas by German embassies in countries outside the European Union.
