A new detailed study commissioned by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs shows how much money the Bavarian economy has lost due to the tourism slump during the Corona pandemic. So-called total tourism consumption fell from 47.5 billion euros in 2019 to 27.9 billion euros in 2020.
This value considers not only accommodation and gastronomy but also, for example, the effect of tourism on transport, wholesale, art, culture, or retail. The most essential items in 2019 were restaurant services, with 10.2 billion euros, shopping, with 9.3 billion; and accommodation, with 6 billion.
The study counts 416,600 employees whose jobs were - as of 2019 - directly related to Bavarian tourism and the products tourists demand. A further 131,800 jobs are indirectly dependent on tourism. Together, these accounted for 7.1 percent of total employment in Bavaria. The values dropped significantly in the first Corona year of 2020 but recovered again.
Corona was a nightmare for Bavarian tourism professionals. Thankfully, the German region overcame that trauma. The industry is back on track and can return to its old success figures.
Experts emphasize the fundamental importance of tourism for Bavaria. The industry flushes money into a wide variety of sectors. After all, not only the hospitality industry but also retail, the leisure sector, the cultural industries, and the entire service economy benefit from solid demand for tourism. For Bavarian tourism industry stakeholders, this means value creation, prosperity, and jobs.