China Overseas.net, March 1. According to the European Times, Frankfurt, as an important transportation center in Germany, welcomes a large number of Chinese tourists every year. But in recent times, the city's tourism industry has clearly been affected by the new crown pneumonia epidemic. However, the German media "Frankfurt Neustadt" wrote that the city does not need to worry too much about this.
The renovated Old Town, Roman Forum, Ponte Vecchio, and Sachsenhausen districts-these are all popular areas in Frankfurt, and tourists are often photographed in groups. But now, the streets of Frankfurt lack a large number of such tours. This is because China is being affected by the new crown pneumonia epidemic, and group travel is currently banned.
China's policies have had a significant impact on Frankfurt, with hotel orders being cancelled and retailers waiting in vain for Chinese tourists who like to buy "Made in Germany". In the heart of Frankfurt's most popular shopping area for Chinese consumers, businesses are reluctant to disclose their current sales losses.
"There are no specific figures yet," said Thomas Feda, director of the Frankfurt Municipal Tourism Board. They will not evaluate the number of tourists they receive in January until mid-March and compare them with the same period last year. But Feda predicts that the number of tourists staying in Frankfurt in January will decline, because many Chinese exhibitors were absent from the two major exhibitions of the month, the Spring Consumer Goods Show and the Christmas Gifts Show. Due to the new crown epidemic, several airlines cancelled flights to and from Germany.
Kerstin Junghans, from the Hessian Hotel and Restaurant Association, said: "If Chinese exhibitors are not present, many visitors will not come." For hoteliers, this means a double adverse effect, that is, participation and viewing. Both parties will cancel the accommodation order. She also expects that the lighting show to be held in March may also encounter the same problem. However, she said that according to Chinese reports, the number of patients with new crown pneumonia has been decreasing, "I am quite optimistic about the speed of the relief of the epidemic situation in China." Throughout the year, it may still be balanced.
Tourism expert Thomas Feda reviewed the negative effects and experiences of past pandemic diseases such as bird flu and SARS. At that time, the number of Asian tourists also dropped sharply, but after the epidemic wave ended, Frankfurt welcomed more tourists from the former epidemic area.
"The hospitality industry understands this curve," Feda said.
Even in the retail industry, performance is not entirely dependent on Chinese tourists. According to statistics, tourists can contribute 600 to 700 euros per day to Frankfurt's retail industry, Feda said: "Even if Chinese tourists do not come, this only means that sales have fallen by about 2.5%."
According to the calculation of "overnight visitors per night for resident residents", Frankfurt is the most important tourist city in Germany. According to the latest statistics in 2019, Frankfurt receives 12,779 overnight visitors per 1,000 residents per year, followed by Munich with 10264 and Berlin with 8,392 overnight visitors. (Guan Mengjue)