Vacation in Germany: How we can keep the new tourist hotspots from collapsing

Littered lake shores, endless traffic jams on the streets, wild parking and camping: German tourist hotspots such as Walchensee in Upper Bavaria or Timmendorfer Strand in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have been struggling with such problems for years. With the Corona summer, these are now reinforced. Because many people shy away from traveling abroad, especially in times of fear of a second wave of viruses, they spend their summer vacation in Germany. This is becoming an increasing problem for the tourist hotspots in our country.

This year, 44 percent of people in Germany still want to travel. This emerges from an online survey published on Tuesday by the Society for Consumer Research (GfK) on behalf of the Bavarian Center for Tourism. Particularly surprising: only 17 percent are planning a trip abroad. The majority of holidaymakers are drawn to German destinations, especially in Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

How can the tourism rush be distributed?

Are these goals now threatened with conditions like those in Venice or Barcelona until recently? And: What can German tourist regions do now that Balderschwang is in high demand instead of Ballermann, so as not to be overrun?

Germany is not prepared for as much domestic tourism as we are currently experiencing, says Jürgen Schmude, Professor of Tourism Economics, Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich. "In the high season, our vacation regions are usually 90 percent fully booked anyway. That is why they cannot now start all trips abroad."

The fact that many vacation regions are on the verge of collapse is also due to the Corona situation. The Munich tourism scientist is convinced that the call from many German prime ministers to prefer to spend their holidays at home in Germany in the "Corona summer" has led to thousands of people seeking relaxation in a confined space. "This call was actionist. Anyone who had a clue about tourism would have known immediately that these statements would lead us to an overtourism problem," said Schmude. Because the vacation for all Germans at home would not be calculated. "The Germans mainly do outbound tourism. This means that two thirds of all trips do not take place in Germany."

The consequences of this development are noticeable – even for tourists: On some Baltic Sea beaches, for example, sun worshipers have to reserve a section of the beach beforehand using the app. This is to prevent the popular bathing destinations from being overcrowded. Without registration, the bath in the sea falls into the water.

Bente Grimm knows the problem. The head of tourism mobility research at the "NIT", the institute for tourism and spa research in Northern Europe, sees concepts such as the "beach ticker" on the Bay of Lübeck, only one way to relieve German tourist hotspots. "Marketing cooperation with neighboring, less heavily used regions is required for the locations, so that the tourist flows are better distributed," says Grimm in an interview with FOCUS Online.

The Munich tourism researcher Schmude has been dealing with such strategies for years. He recommends the so-called B-Marketing to tourist locations: "Here locations with a '1B location', i.e. locations in the second row, are marketed in such a way that tourists also strive for these destinations in the long term and thus protect the main contact points."

A successful example of how B-Marketing can work is in the Netherlands. Amsterdam, overrun by tourists, has cleverly marketed the city of Zandvoort, an hour's drive away by the sea, as "Amsterdam Beach". The goal: Tourists who come to the Dutch capital for a second or third time and already know all the attractions would be motivated by the melodious name to spend a few vacation days by the sea – and not in the crowded old town.

I want to vacation in Germany: What do I have to consider?

But what do I have to consider as a vacationer if I want to spend my vacation in Germany during Corona times?

“First of all, you should think about the intention of your vacation,” says Schmude. “Do I want to relax, do sports or satisfy a cultural need? The important thing is not just to go where everyone is going, ”recommends the tourism expert. He also advocates "1B locations", that is, more unknown but not necessarily less attractive destinations. "The Rhön, Eifel or Thuringian Forest, for example. They are less well known, but not worse, "says Schmude.

Mobility researcher Grimm suggests something similar. "If you want to avoid large crowds of people, it is best to travel to unknown places – or simply stay in your own region and go for walks and bike rides." That makes sense against the background of sustainability, says Grimm.

The researcher is convinced that overtourism such as Venice has experienced in recent years will not find its way into Germany despite Corona. "In domestic tourism, only a few places have been so full over a longer period of time that the quality of life and stay suffers," says Grimm. The travel analysis of her institute in January also shows: 29 percent of Germans want to avoid crowded places on vacation trips; for reasons of sustainability. "I assume that this proportion is now even higher in response to the corona pandemic," says Grimm.

The virus will be with us for a long time to come – what impact will this have on our travels in the long term?

Overtourism is not a new phenomenon – and it is difficult to prevent it, says tourism expert Schmude. Nevertheless, our travel behavior will change in the future – also because of Corona: “I doubt that weekend trips to Milan for shopping or bachelor parties on Mallorca will continue to take place to the same extent. Above all, this has to do with the fact that traveling will become more expensive. "

The trend forecast by the expert: People will travel "not so often and not so far". "But whoever thinks that travel is basically declining is wrong. Travel is a basic need."