tourism
Crisis is likely to affect winter holidays
In the last two winters there was a lack of snow in many places in the Alps, but not a lack of holidaymakers. The first signs point to fewer guests in the new season. But that is not due to climate change.
The ongoing economic crisis could slow down the previously flourishing tourism in the Alps this winter. According to economists and experts, a main cause is the uncertainty of German consumers, who currently prefer to put money aside rather than spend it. Consumer restraint in Germany will probably also have an impact on Austria and Switzerland. Because guests from the Federal Republic still make up the largest or at least one of the largest groups in many winter holiday resorts.
When consumers save on vacation, they tend to save on short trips and second and third vacations. “In Germany you only save a very limited amount of money on your main vacation,” says Dennis Utzerath, tourism expert at the management consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
According to travel analysis by the Research Association for Holidays and Travel (FUR) in Kiel, a trend towards limiting travel to one main holiday trip per year has already been identified in the past two years. “While in previous years many travelers took several vacation trips or additional short vacation trips, now more emphasis is placed on the one main trip, where travelers want to treat themselves to something and don’t pay too much attention to the price,” says tourism researcher Friedericke Kuhn . “Since skiing holidays are often a second trip alongside the main holiday in the summer, a decline can be assumed here.”
dpa
Source: Stern
