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Neuss (dpa / lnw) - With a view to the increasing number of infections, the hospitality industry is losing confidence that it will soon be able to open again.
We hope to be able to receive guests again as part of model regions, said Thorsten Hellwig from the German Hotel and Restaurant Association NRW (Dehoga NRW).
However, he admitted that such an easing step would become less likely in view of the current development.
"We don't want to open at any price - just as important as opening is the perspective of staying open," said Hellwig.
Opening up and having to close again only a short time later would be financially, mentally and organizationally very bad for the industry.
"After all, we have to buy fresh goods and get employees back from short-time work, among other things."
In addition, there is an urgent need for a perspective for the entire hospitality industry, not just for outdoor catering in model regions.
As long as that is not the case, the state has to initiate compensation, demands Hellwig.
The failure of the spring business with good weather is particularly painful for his badly ailing industry.
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The restaurants, cafes and pubs have been closed since November.
In the first two months, the industry was supported quite comprehensively, the companies were entitled to up to 75 percent of their turnover compared to the same period in the previous year.
Since January they have only been reimbursed fixed costs - such as rent - up to 90 percent.
The Dehoga calls for an increase to 100 percent.
In addition, the association advocates an “entrepreneur's wage” - a kind of short-time work allowance for the self-employed.
"In order for the companies to survive, the entrepreneurs must also be able to make ends meet financially," said the Dehoga spokesman.
The industry association insists that its industry has "contributed very little to the pandemic" and that the hygiene concepts introduced last year worked.
NRW has around 50,000 establishments in the hospitality industry - whether hotels, restaurants, snack bars or pubs.
Before the Corona crisis, the industry had around 400,000 employees, almost half of whom were permanent.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210404-99-79745 / 2