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Dietmar Müller-Elmau doesn’t leave politics alone.

"Germany is currently a master of lack of plan," complains the boss of the five-star Hotel Schloss Elmau from Krün in the Upper Bavarian district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen during an online discussion by the employers' association BDA.

Commitments are constantly being made that are then not kept.

And then everyone just pushes the responsibility on to the next one.

"It is an absolute debacle in which a lot of trust is lost." Müller-Elmau therefore does not expect anything for his industry from the next Prime Minister's Conference (MPK) with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU).

In any case, he is only assuming the worst-case scenario.

"And that can mean that we have to wait until September or October for the hospitality industry to open completely." Because a comeback for the hotel and catering industry will only really succeed if the majority of the population is vaccinated.

But Germany is not making any headway here either.

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Müller-Elmau therefore expects a major structural change in the hospitality industry in Germany.

“The question is how many companies will still exist if they are allowed to reopen at some point,” says the 67-year-old.

"An entire industry is being destroyed here."

Guido Zöllick sees it no differently.

He understands that people's mobility is the basic problem, says the President of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga).

"But if our industry is expected to close so that kindergartens, schools and industry can stay open, politics must compensate for this in return."

“The companies must be compensated in full,” demands Zöllick, who is the director of the Hotel Neptun in the Baltic Sea resort of Warnemünde.

"And quickly."

Because so far, help has been slow to arrive at best.

As of now, 72 percent of the sums applied for have been paid out in the so-called November aid, reports Zöllick at the BDA round with the title "How does the comeback of the hospitality industry succeed after the pandemic".

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Conversely, this means that a good four months after the forced closure, 28 percent of the applicants are still waiting for the funds promised by the state from the “lockdown light”.

"Aid was announced at the time," criticized Zöllick, referring to both Federal Economics Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) and Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD).

The way there is not only long, but also arduous.

"The applications are very bureaucratic, and there are always new regulations that make life difficult for those affected."

Inland tourism is the great hope

The Dehoga therefore reports of desperation and increasing fear of the future in the companies.

Especially since the opening of outdoor catering, which was promised at the last MPK at the beginning of March, does not offer any real prospects.

On the one hand, there is no outdoor area at all with many providers.

On the other hand, the partial operation is not economical for most of them.

At least that's what more than 83 percent of the participants in a current Dehoga survey report.

“There is still no perspective,” says Zöllick.

And that after a long dry spell that has lasted for many months.

Since March 2020, sales in the industry have slumped by almost two thirds compared to the same period of the previous year, according to the association survey, in which around 6,500 hospitality companies took part from March 4th to 8th.

The result: 72.2 percent of the companies state that they fear their existence, and every fourth provider is already specifically considering an operational closure.

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For those companies that persevere, good business is in store.

At least that's what luxury hotelier Müller-Elmau predicts.

"I'm not worried about the hotel industry - if the bridging aids that are essential for survival flow in beforehand." Because there will be no shortage of demand.

On the contrary: the demand will probably even significantly exceed the supply.

After all, German citizens are longing for travel.

“Domestic tourism can save us,” believes the expert, who also expects a new appreciation from the guests.

According to Müller-Elmau, this recognition should then also be reflected in the wallets of the employees.

“We mustn't destroy each other with price wars.

Instead, the prices even have to rise in order to be able to pay higher salaries to the employees in the hotels. "

Dehoga boss Zöllick also expects tourism in Germany to pick up very quickly after the opening.

On the other hand, he expects restraint when it comes to meetings and business trips.

"This area will probably take a lot longer," says the hotel manager.

And the bottom line is that it will remain smaller in the long term than it has been in recent years due to the technical alternatives that have now been tried and tested.

Like the entire industry, Zöllick now expects politicians to present a specific timetable for restaurants and hotels at the upcoming regular MPK on March 22nd.

Every available instrument must be used, be it vaccination or testing.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) shows understanding.

In front of the state parliament in Schwerin on Friday there were repeated protests by restaurateurs, hoteliers and representatives of the event industry.

Schwesig admitted that your industry must also be taken into account in a possible opening plan.

"But it is clear that we can only make openings step by step." The state boss can also envision regional solutions, for example in conjunction with the neighboring state of Schleswig-Holstein, if there is no nationwide uniform regulation.

However, she did not say how far such plans are already.

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