The Federal Government wants to strengthen the competitiveness of the tourism industry in Germany and to take more care of the mostly small and medium-sized enterprises. The economic power of the industry should rise, but at the same time the quality of life of the people in the popular holiday areas, said the Tourism Commissioner Thomas Bareiß (CDU).
The Ministry of Economic Affairs presented key elements for a first National Tourism Strategy, which was approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday. Concrete measures are to be developed by the beginning of 2020 with the countries and the industry. This could involve more flexible working time arrangements in the catering sector, fair framework conditions and the reduction of bureaucracy, but also the expansion of the fast Internet in rural areas.
The power of the large booking platforms is a source of concern
"With the tourism strategy, the Federal Government will present a holistic economic concept for the tourism sector for the first time," said Bareiß, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, on Monday. He called the tourism industry an economic heavyweight and referred to nearly three million jobs and a gross value added of more than 100 billion euros.
The attractiveness of rural areas as holiday destinations should be increased in order to distribute tourist flows well and relieve tourist hotspots. "This includes finally a faster mobile network expansion and better transport links, " said Bareiß. The shortage of skilled workers is a "business risk". It was crucial that the skilled labor immigration law could enter into force quickly. Bareiß announced consultations with all relevant stakeholders in the tourism industry, the federal government and the federal states.
As digitalization progresses, the key points are that companies must be able to keep up with the demands of digital distribution channels . "The sustainability of the German tourism industry will also be reflected in the extent to which it masters the challenges that this structural change brings with it in the face of fiercer and more global competition."
In particular, small and medium-sized enterprises would have to compete in an environment of global digital players and therefore need " fair competitive conditions ", inter alia in the context of platform economics. Above all, the increasing power of large international booking platforms are causing problems for the tourism industry. The concern is that value creation is increasingly migrating abroad.
Industry has long been demanding relief
The automobile association ADAC had welcomed the plans of the government on Monday. "This support must now translate into concrete action in a timely manner, with a focus on addressing mobility and infrastructure issues," said Kurt Heinen, vice-president of tourism. In addition, tourism policy must be better coordinated. The allocation of responsibility to several ministries costs a lot of time. "We have to get faster," said Heinen.
The president of the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry, Michael Frenzel, had demanded "fair competition conditions" at a "tourism summit" last November. Traditional companies would often still have stricter requirements than digital competitors.
The industry has also long been relieving politicians of bureaucracy and labor law. It demands a flexibilization of the working time laws. The rigid daily maximum working time in the working time law is not up to date, Frenzel had said.
According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office, the number of overnight stays by guests from Germany and abroad in Germany increased by 4 percent to the best value of 477.6 million last year. However, the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga) emphasized that the earnings situation in the industry remains tense due to further increases in operating and personnel costs. Added to this is the shortage of skilled workers.