Hoteliers, innkeepers, campsite operators and Co. in the flood disaster areas are faced with the ruins of their existence. The consequences for tourism could extend beyond the crisis areas.
Devastated campsites, destroyed holiday homes and hotels, damaged bridges, tracks and roads: after the corona lockdown, the flood disaster plunges tourism in the affected regions into the next crisis.
In the Ahrweiler district in Rhineland-Palatinate, for example, there are virtually no inns or hotels that could receive guests again within the next twelve months, as reported by the regional association of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga). The tourism industry is worried about a wave of cancellations in neighboring areas that are not affected.
“The suffering of the people and the numerous victims are deeply affected,” said the deputy managing director of the German Tourism Association (DTV) Dirk Dunkelberg. “In this situation, no tourism is conceivable or possible in the Ahr valley, in the Euskirchen district and in the Rhein-Erft district.” At the same time he emphasized that the flood was a local event. In Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, holidays in most travel regions are possible in all their variety. “A wave of cancellation because people are insecure would be a catastrophe for tourism in Germany.”
The concern seems justified. According to the Dehoga in Rhineland-Palatinate, numerous guests have also canceled their bookings in parts of the country that were not affected by the flooding at all, such as Rheinhessen or the Palatinate. “We assume that despite the high season, thousands of beds will remain empty,” said Dehoga President Gereon Haumann. This is due to the fact that the state is viewed as a disaster area as a whole.
Even holiday areas along the Moselle are now ready for guests again. Extreme rainfall had caused flooding there last week, but some of the restaurateurs experienced with flooding had already reopened their businesses.
“For the hosts, who have lost their livelihood in the worst case after the long corona lockdown, it is an absolute catastrophe,” said Michelle Schwefel, branch manager of the German holiday home association. The regions in rural areas in particular are urgently dependent on tourism.
“The full extent of the flood and the effects on tourism cannot be estimated at the moment,” said Schwefel. It is unclear how many accommodation providers are affected by the flood and how many holidaymakers are currently unable to travel.
According to initial estimates by the Federal Association of the Camping Industry (BVCD) in Germany, four campsites in North Rhine-Westphalia and eleven in Rhineland-Palatinate are so devastated that they cannot open for an indefinite period. There are more than 3000 campsites nationwide, which usually make around 70 percent of their turnover in the holiday months of July and August. “There is hope that there have been an above-average number of bookings for September so far,” said BVCD managing director Christian Günther. “We see corona catch-up effects.”
According to the travel association DRV, the consequences for providers of river cruises are limited. “There weren’t as many cancellations as initially feared,” said Benjamin Krumpen, co-managing director of Phoenix Reisen. “We have to struggle again and again with the consequences of high and low water. The shipping companies can basically handle it. ” Some cruises had to be canceled, others changed the timetable. It is expected that the Danube will be navigable again from Passau at the weekend, as will the Moselle and the entire Rhine route.
It is not currently possible to estimate what effects the catastrophe will have on the overall balance of tourism in Germany. Traditionally, the Baltic and North Sea, which are not affected, as well as Bavaria are particularly popular with holidaymakers from Germany. Although floods and landslides had wreaked havoc in the Berchtesgadener Land at the weekend, tourist accommodations were apparently largely spared. «You can arrive!», The Bergerlebnis Berchtesgaden association writes on its website. The disaster for the Upper Bavarian district was lifted on Tuesday.
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
