- Increase in adult holiday-goers during the festive season: decreased financial gains
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The figures are striking: As per a recent survey conducted by the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tourism Association, approximately 42% of lodging providers express dissatisfaction or extreme dissatisfaction with this year's main season's performance compared to the previous year. Contrastingly, only 37% show satisfaction or extreme satisfaction. The survey included 300 lodging providers, dining establishments, leisure activities providers, tourist information centers, and spa administration.
Two-thirds of the businesses point to reduced earnings as the major cause of their dissatisfaction. Almost all companies (90%) attribute the drop in demand to increased cost consciousness among tourists. Essentially, tourists are spending less on vacations these days. Competition from foreign vacation destinations was cited as a reason by 55% of the respondents.
MV outperforms national trend
Despite these concerning assessments, there is a rise in tourist arrivals and overnight stays. According to figures from the Statistical Office, there were 3.4 million tourist arrivals, a 4.0% increase compared to the previous year, and a 2.4% increase in overnight stays to 13.1 million. This puts Mecklenburg-Vorpommern slightly above the national growth rate of 2.2%.
The region with the highest increase in overnight stays is West Mecklenburg with 4.7%. City tourism is also thriving, with a 21.9% increase in overnight stays in Schwerin.
Guest satisfaction has also risen: 72% of businesses rate it as high to very high, a 6% increase from the previous year.
Bookings are becoming increasingly last-minute
"The past year was the second-best travel year in the history of our federal state. This trend continues in the first half of 2024," says Economics and Tourism Minister Reinhard Meyer. However, the general economic situation is leading to bookings being made increasingly at the last minute, which poses challenges for the tourism industry.
"Moreover, there is a price-performance ratio that is increasingly being viewed critically." Therefore, tourism in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern needs new impetus - through investments in infrastructure and new offers with enhanced quality in service and product, says Meyer.
43% of temporary positions are vacant
42% of tourist businesses are impacted by labor shortages this season, a 2% increase from last year. The percentage of vacant positions has risen: statistically, only seven out of ten full-time positions can be filled, compared to eight out of ten in the previous year.
Tourist businesses are particularly short of temporary staff: 43% of positions are vacant, compared to 31% in 2023. Smallest companies with fewer than ten employees are particularly struggling. Minister Meyer describes labor shortages as the biggest challenge for the industry.
Due to the increased VAT, 75% of businesses have hiked their prices, 30% have adjusted the number and quality of dishes, 6% have shortened their operating hours, and 4% have let go of employees.
The individual perception is becoming increasingly blurred in more and more companies, says Tobias Woitendorf, Tourism Commissioner of the state and Managing Director of the Tourism Association. It is becoming increasingly important to consistently focus on quality, sustainability, and internationalization. These are the growth drivers of the coming years.
According to Birgit Hesse, president of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tourism Association, autumn still presents opportunities to draw many people to vacation in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, especially around Germany's Unity Day, which will be celebrated in Schwerin this year.
The dissatisfaction among lodging providers and other businesses in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern partly stems from reduced income due to tourists spending less. Despite this, the region has seen an increase in income-generating activities such as tourist arrivals and overnight stays, slightly outperforming the national growth rate.
