Situation "catastrophic" due to Corona: restaurateurs lose 38 percent in sales

Situation "catastrophic" due to Corona
Restaurateurs lose 38 percent in sales

Hardly any guests and overnight stays – the gastronomy is suffering severely from the Corona measures. According to official figures, hotels and restaurants had to do without almost two fifths of annual sales in 2020. An internal survey by the association paints an even gloomier picture.

The corona pandemic cost German hotels and restaurants almost two fifths of their turnover last year: the hospitality industry is expected to have 38 percent less revenue than in 2019, as the Federal Statistical Office announced in an initial estimate. The minus was particularly large in November when the new lockdown began. The industry association Dehoga also assesses the current situation as dramatic.

Last spring, the restaurants were closed for two months due to the pandemic. Hotels were only allowed to accommodate business travelers. After several months of far-reaching easing, restaurants, cafes and hotels have again been largely closed since November 2nd.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, industry sales in November were 67.9 percent below the same month last year. The hotels and other accommodation companies recorded a minus of 82.2 percent, in the catering trade the decrease was 60.1 percent. The caterers suffered somewhat less severe losses, with them the minus was 45.1 percent.

Dehoga CEO Ingrid Hartges described the situation and the mood in her branch as "catastrophic". "Despair and existential fears" spread. It is true that overnight business travelers and the collection or delivery of food are still allowed. "But that only happens to a limited extent," Hartges pointed out.

An internal survey by the association with around 5500 participating companies had even worse numbers for November than calculated by the Federal Statistical Office: According to Hartges, sales fell by 82.5 percent. "No better numbers are expected for December and January."

Without quick help, there is a risk of bankruptcy

"It is now all the more important that the promised help for all companies in need arrive quickly, unbureaucratically and in full," demanded Hartges. "Otherwise bankruptcies and operational tasks are inevitable."

ed1a4bd407e226c9a6e6a5f5eae0d71a.jpg "data-src =" https://apps-cloud.n-tv.de/img/22299939-1610980058000/16-9/750/ed1a4bd407e226c9a6e6a5f5eae0d71 "class =" .jazy "class =" .jazy "class =" .jazy " </picture><figcaption><p class=The ski lifts also came to a standstill due to Corona, such as here on Wurmberg in Lower Saxony.

(Photo: dpa)

Green economics expert Katharina Dröge also appealed to the government. "To avoid a wave of bankruptcies, the federal government's aid must finally flow," she said. "The chaos and delays caused by Minister of Economic Affairs Altmaier and Minister of Finance Scholz are becoming an existential threat to many companies."

The statisticians take into account businesses with a turnover of at least 150,000 euros per year for the hospitality figures. The estimate published today is based on sales from January to November 2020, an estimate for December, which is marked by the tightened lockdown, and the need for revision of the results for the months of March through November.

. (tagsToTranslate) Economy (t) Hotel industry (t) Gastronomy (t) Tourism industry (t) Corona measures (t) Pandemics