How will Germany’s tourism industry get through the winter?

International

-DW News

Berlin,
Sep
13:
Northeastern
Germany’s
Resort
Hotel
Mark
Brandenburg
boasts
numerous
thermal
baths,
some
of
them
reaching
up
to
32
degrees
celsius
(89°F),
but
heating
them
is
becoming
very
expensive
given
the
rapidly
rising
cost
of
energy.
“Our
electricity
and
heating
expenses
are
rising
dramatically,”
said
hotel
director
Martin
Wenzel.
“We
will
have
losses
because
we
cannot
pass
on
the
rising
costs
to
our
hotel
guests.”

With
the
cost
of

energy
skyrocketing,
many
businesses
in
the
German
hospitality
sector
face
an
uncertain
future.
Many
companies
could
go
out
of
business,
said
Patrick
Rothkopf
of
Germany’s
Association
of
Hotels
and
Restaurants
(DEHOGA).
The
hospitality
sector,
he
adds,
is
especially
hard
hit
by
rising
electricity,
oil
and
gas
costs.
In
addition,
restaurateurs
and
hotels
owners
face
the
very
real
prospect
of
power
shortages.
“I
therefore
expect
politicians
to
do
everything
in
their
power
to
minimize
the
pressure
on
these
companies,”
said
Rothkopf.

Public
institutions
turn
down
heating

So
far,
lawmakers
have
shied
away
from
demanding
that
the
hospitality
industry
cut
back
on
its
electricity
consumption,
or
turn
down
the
heating.
The
government’s
new
energy
saving
rules
do,
however,
stipulate
that
public
institutions,
such
as
museums,
may
be
heated
to
no
more
than
19
degrees
Celsius
(66°F).
They
also
demand
that
exterior
lighting
and
illuminated
advertising
spaces
must
be
switched
off
by
10
p.m.
every
night
to
conserve
energy.

Germany
seeks
talks
with
Switzerland
on
nuclear
waste
site

The
consequences
of
the
energy
crisis
are
already
becoming
apparent
at
many
of
the
country’s
leading
tourist
attractions.
In
Hamburg,
authorities
decided
to
turn
off
the
iconic
Alster
Fountain
two
months
early
this
year.
The
city
of
Cologne
also
stopped
illuminating
its
famous
cathedral.
Likewise,
Berlin
authorities
no
longer
light
up
the
Reichstag,
home
to
German’s
parliament,
the
Bundestag.
The
Baltic
port
city
of
Rostock
has
canceled
its
annual,
week-long,
city-wide
light
show.

Tourism
industry
representatives
have
also
warned
that
rising
energy
bills
could
adversely
impact
this
year’s
winter
sports
season.

Holidaymakers
to
foot
the
bill

Holidays
will
become
more
expensive,
that
much
is
clear.
“Rising
costs
mean
touristic
services
and
restaurant
visits
will
become
pricier,
says
German
Tourist
Association
spokeswomanHuberta
Sasse,
adding
there
is
no
avoiding
this
as
businesses
cannot
operate
at
a
loss.
Finding
the
right
balance
between
price
hikes
and
cost-saving
measures,
she
says,
is
therefore
key.
One
quick
and
readily
applicable
method
for
cost-cutting
could
be
to
better
manage
the
use
of
heating
and
warm
water
—
many
businesses
have
already
undertaken
such
efforts
to
become
more
energy-efficient.

“Hotels
are
making
considerable
investments
in
energy-saving
measures,
running
their
business
more
efficiently,
adjusting
prices
and
optimizing
their
services
as
much
as
possible,”
said
Tobias
Warnecke,
who
heads
the
German
Hotel
Association
(IHA).
The
hospitality
sector
also
faces
rising
food
and
labor
costs.
Some
restaurants
have
even
resorted
to
reducing
their
opening
hours.

Germany
must
accept
leading
military
role:
Defense
minister

Spa
and
sauna
operators,
in
particular,
will
need
to
drastically
reduce
their
energy
consumption.
Lutz
Hertel
of
Germany’s
Spa
Association
said
operators
are
deeply
concerned
as
autumn
and
winter
near,
when
spas
are
most
frequented.
Rising
costs
could
lead
to
a
“drop
in
guests,
which
will
put
businesses
in
serious
financial
trouble.”
That
is
why
many
are
now
working
hard
to
reduce
their
energy
consumption.
One
step
could
be
reduced
opening
hours,
or
lowering
temperatures
in
saunas
and
pools.
“Though
who
wants
to
spend
time
in
a
lukewarm
sauna?”
he
asked.
Guests
are
unlikely
to
be
pleased
with
limits
on
how
much
time
they
are
allowed
to
spend
at
a
spa
either.

2
degrees
less

Resort
Hotel
Mark
Brandenburg
has
already
moved
ahead
with
cost-saving
measures,
said
Martin
Wenzel.
The
hotel’s
exterior
lighting
is
now
switched
off
at
10
p.m.,
and
further
measures
are
planned.
One
of
the
outside
pools
will
be
2
degrees
cooler.
Wenzel
does
not
want
to
close
any
of
the
pools
or
saunas,
as
this
would
disappoint
guests
and
perhaps
cause
them
to
vacation
elsewhere.
“Our
biggest
fear
is
that
spas
will
be
told
to
shut
down
entirely,”
or
that
his
resort
will
be
cut
off
from
district
heating,
he
said.

Source: DW