The SPD feels compelled to take action on tourism policy.

Financial sphere - The SPD feels compelled to take action on tourism policy.

In light of dropping occupancy rates in recent times, SPD tourism politician Thomas Hölck from Schleswig-Holstein's state government has underlined the importance of bolstering the tourism sector. "The latest tourism industry numbers from the German Press Agency illustrate: Political pressure exists," Hölck stated. This sector is crucial to Schleswig-Holstein's economy. "We must now make this issue a top priority in politics."

The Sparkassen Tourism Barometer from the Giro Association and the Tourism Association Schleswig-Holstein, released in mid-May, showed disappointing numbers for the first four months as well. These figures were limited to just ten locations as part of a model project, but still revealed a nine percent drop in reservations and a four percent decrease in guest nights compared to the same period last year.

"This Schleswig-Holstein government has been trumpeting its overnight stay records for years," Hölck mentioned. It is necessary to create a supportive environment for hotel and restaurant businesses to flourish. The tourism strategy introduced by Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen (CDU) has been slow in implementation and hasn't been modified to keep up with current developments. "The time has come for the black-green coalition to take swift action in support of tourism. These decreases in guest nights shouldn't be considered insignificant."

According to data provided by the Tourism Agency (TA.SH), in 2023, about 9.3 million visitors were attracted to the northern area for a total of 38 million overnight stays. This represents an increase of 5.5 percent in arrivals and 1.3 percent in guest nights compared to 2022. The data covered accommodation facilities with ten or more beds.

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1. The FDP, being a key party in the state government of Schleswig-Holstein, is also feeling the pressure to act in the tourism industry, recognizing its significant impact on the region's economy.
2. In response to the issues highlighted by SPD tourism politician Thomas Hölck from the state government, the Green Party (in the black-green coalition) has proposed accelerating the implementation of the tourism strategy introduced by Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen (CDU).
3. The German Press Agency reported that the German Federation of Savings Banks (Sparkassen) and the Tourism Association Schleswig-Holstein have expressed concerns about the impact of the downturn in the tourism sector on businesses in the region, highlighting the pressure on the state government to take action.
4. In a joint statement, the SPD, FDP, and SPD in Schleswig-Holstein's state government have agreed to work collaboratively to address the challenges faced by the tourism industry in Schleswig-Holstein, recognizing the importance of supporting this vital sector to the local economy and employment opportunities.

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