By Chathushka Perera
Berlin, Germany (CWBN)_ The German travel industry recorded a historic 80 percent drop this year owing to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, however, with respect to catch-up effects and the availably of a vaccine, the German Travel Association noted that it is optimistic of recovery next year.
President of the German Travel Association, Norbert Fiebig said that he is “cautiously positive about the coming year.”
He added that “50 to 60% of the sales of the record year 2019 are hopefully achievable from not travelling this year.”
Nonetheless it is apparent now that revenue for the winter season would fall by more than 70 percent compared to 2019, as the number of viable destinations to travel to continue to drop.
Adding to the concerns laid out by the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) announcement a week ago that it expects the European air travel industry to deteriorate well into 2021 along with loss of job opportunities to match.
The German Federal Statistical Office further claimed that overnight stays by both foreign and domestic travellers were recorded at 33.4 million in October this year, having dropped by around 27 percent compared to 2019.
Meanwhile, domestic accommodation establishments recorded 2.2 million overnights stays among foreign travellers, indicating a 71 percent drop.
“How business picks up again depends on various factors: Vaccine, smart testing strategy, economic development and consumer mood.” Fiebig added.
