The Coronavirus pandemic has affected the tourism industry significantly. However, the sector is slowly reviving, and tourists can once again book accommodation in destinations across Europe. Holiday homes are experiencing a big boom.
After very difficult moments, the demand for holiday homes has risen significantly. Some places, for example in Bavaria, are already fully booked until September, which stresses this unprecedented trend.
But not only holiday homes are benefiting from the current situation. Campsites are also registering a rise in demand. Although, even campsites have to comply with some safety measures. Sanitary facilities at campsites may only be opened to a limited extent and thus, only vehicles with their own washing facilities can enter.
However, most accommodation providers continue to struggle with the opposite problem. The Coronavirus crisis is far from overcome, quite the contrary. Most hotels report an occupancy rate between 15 and 30%.
City hotels, in particular, are suffering from low booking figures, with some reportedly being at an occupancy rate of almost zero. Experts suggest that overall travelers seem to be somewhat cautious about the concept of a city trip in these times. When tourists stay in hotels, they prefer the countryside.
Big and luxurious hotels are also not gaining momentum for one particular reason – the lack of business trips. Despite the fact that gatherings and meetings are now allowed in many countries across Europe, there is no particular interest. The reason? Many companies have banned company-internal business trips for a certain period of time.
Bavaria is a prime example of the above-mentioned phenomenon. “The situation is dramatic,” announced the President of Dehoga (German Hotel and Restaurant Association) in Bavaria, Angela Inselkammer. Given the current occupancy rates, it is difficult to imagine many hotels handling the situation economically and many are likely to close permanently.
And while the Neuschwanstein Castle, one of Bavaria’s crown jewels, has opened once again, local hoteliers are not benefiting from it. One of the reasons is also the fact that the castle was a great magnet for Chinese tourists. And in the current context, it will take a long time until Chinese visitors come back.
