Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Struggle for survival after Corona
French hotels trick platforms
In Germany, many hoteliers fear for their existence: They are still miles away from the level of the pre-crisis period. In France, small hotels rebel against the big portals and encourage tourists to book directly. With this they want to save the high fees.
Over 300 smaller French hotels have allied themselves against the large booking platforms, from which they see themselves insufficiently supported in the Corona crisis. Under the motto “I choose France” (#JechoisislaFrance), the hotels that have joined together to form the “Contact Hôtels” association are calling for bookings to be made directly with the hotels instead of via the major platforms. And that should be worthwhile for the tourists. Tariffs are promised that are below those on the booking platforms, as well as other discounts. “We prefer to give our customers a discount instead of fattening the big companies that pay little taxes in France and create few jobs,” said the Breton hotelier Vincent Carro of the newspaper “Le Figaro”.
At the center of the criticism of the independent hoteliers are the commissions between 15 and 25 percent of the booking price that the platforms collect, but which often secure a lot of turnover for the hotels. According to the initiators of the protest, the platforms were not ready to lower the commissions even during the crisis, disregarding the emergency. This business practice threatens the existence of many hotels, it was said.
“We now need these direct bookings because they secure thousands of jobs and investments and also promote the development of our regions through the taxes paid in France,” said the President of “Contact Hôtels”, Thomas Richard. At the moment, locally anchored and ethically justifiable consumer behavior is the focus. “We want the French to have this reflex when they make holiday reservations and book them directly.”
German hoteliers fear for their existence
The German hoteliers are also still hard hit by the corona pandemic. The number of overnight stays by guests from home and abroad increased in June. However, hotels, guesthouses and the like are still a long way from their pre-crisis level. “Germany tourism will still need some time to be able to build on the old successes again,” said Norbert Kunz, managing director of the German Tourism Association (DTV). The hotel and restaurant association Dehoga now fears for the existence of many businesses.
According to preliminary information from the Federal Statistical Office, the number of overnight stays by travelers rose by 6.1 percent to 30.9 million in June compared to the same month last year. The month-long ban on tourist overnight stays was only gradually lifted in May, depending on the corona situation in the federal states. Compared to June 2019, hotels, guest houses and other accommodation providers with at least ten beds recorded a significant decrease of 39 percent.
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