Overnight stays in German hotels down almost 90 pct in April

Source: Xinhua | 2020-06-11

The number of overnight stays by domestic and international visitors in Germany's hotels decreased by 89.3 percent in April year-on-year, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Wednesday.

The ban on the movement of private travelers in Germany, which was in effect between mid-March and April in order to contain the spread of COVID-19, caused the "largest decrease since the beginning of the time series in 1992," Destatis noted.

While the number of overnight stays by German guests, who made up the majority of travellers, fell by 88.5 percent to 3.8 million, overnight stays by international guests declined by 93.1 percent to 0.5 million in April, according to Destatis.

The increase in the number of overnight stays in January and February was followed by a sudden drop in March and April as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. For the entire first quarter of 2020, Germany's hotel industry recorded a decline in guests numbers of almost 40 percent compared to last year.

Already in March, Destatis said that the turnover of hotels and other accommodation establishments in Germany had decreased by almost 50 percent year-on-year. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a "substantial impact" on the German hotel industry.

As a result, around every third company in Germany's hospitality sector was threatened by bankruptcy, according to a survey conducted by the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA) in April. In Germany's capital Berlin, DEHOGA reported that although 87 percent of the hotels had reopened, 77 percent still recorded turnover losses of more than 75 percent.

"We have no prospects," stated Christian Andresen, president of DEHOGA Berlin. The gastronomy and hotel industry would need long-term assistance from the federal and state governments. Berlin's "leading industry" should not be allowed to be destroyed, he said.