display
Potsdam / Neuzelle (dpa / bb) - According to Brandenburg's Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach (SPD), the corona crisis will in part leave permanent damage to hotels and restaurants.
"Unfortunately we will lose companies," Steinbach told the German Press Agency in Potsdam.
"The catering industry suffers considerably from the closing times."
November, December and Easter are busy times that are now falling away.
"That goes to the bottom and will not be able to catch up with the opening, especially since the necessary distances will reduce the available space and thus the turnover for some time to come."
The hotel industry is recording severe losses, especially for meeting providers, said the minister.
They would “have to adapt to changing demand permanently”.
Steinbach sees another problem: "The industry is increasingly suffering from the fact that employees are turning to new professions in other industries," he said.
But not all providers in Brandenburg tourism are suffering from the Corona crisis.
"Campsites, holiday apartments and our boat rental companies even managed to increase in some cases over the past year," said Steinbach.
The Corona year 2020 caused a drastic drop in overnight stays at numerous tourism companies.
The decline was greatest among youth hostels, at almost two thirds (-63.6 percent), according to figures from the Berlin-Brandenburg statistical office.
Overnight stays in recreation homes and holiday homes fell by around half (-50.5 percent), in hotels, inns and guest houses it was a decrease of around a third (-33.5 percent).
The decline in holiday apartments was not quite as strong at 15.7 percent, while overnight stays in camping even increased by a tenth.
display
In the Corona crisis, many restaurants keep themselves afloat with food to be picked up or delivered.
The “Wilde Klosterküche” in Neuzelle in the Oder-Spree district offers events and menus, for example at Easter, but no regular lunch menu.
"For us, the price level is too low to be worthwhile for us," said head chef Manu Bunke, who says he attaches great importance to regional quality products.
"That we can exist with it is not the case."
He has already applied for several help.
The same applies to Café Matschke in Potsdam, a restaurant with a gallery.
That was a bit of pocket money, said boss Torge Kieburg about the offer of food to be picked up on weekends and public holidays such as Easter.
With that he could keep the employees at bay a little, but the business was not worth it.
He has already received various aid from the federal and state governments - and in 2020 support amounting to around one month's rent through a solidarity campaign from artists who are exhibiting there.
A lockdown has been in effect for restaurants since November 2020.
Regional openings should be made possible in Brandenburg through model projects, Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) postponed that for the time being.
The German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga) Brandenburg saw this as an opportunity.
Because since November 2nd, restaurants and cafés in Brandenburg have been closed due to the Corona crisis - except for delivery or pick-up services.
display
Various aids are available for companies and self-employed persons, for example the federal bridging aid.
The Minister of Economic Affairs reiterated the plans to support the restart.
"In addition to the existing programs - probably from mid-May - we will provide additional European funds for investments of up to 60,000 euros in small and medium-sized companies," said Steinbach.
The EU funds are intended to help companies get out of the crisis better, for example by installing ventilation technology or promoting digitization.
The program runs until the end of 2022. The regional tourism organizations should also receive help.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210403-99-71505 / 2
Investment Bank Brandenburg on Corona aid
Restaurant "Wilde Klosterküche"