2022 was the year with the second highest number of overnight stays in the history of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Nevertheless, according to a guest survey by the tourism association, the holiday destination can become more attractive.
The typical holidaymaker in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania comes from Saxony, is in his mid-50s and likes to go for walks. This is shown by a guest survey that the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Tourism Association presented on Friday in Schwerin. Accordingly, the already high level of satisfaction among holidaymakers in the country increased further last year. The second highest number of overnight stays in the country’s history was also recorded. However, Tourism Minister Reinhard Meyer (SPD) warns against resting on the results.
Criticisms price-performance and internet
According to the tourism association, the guest survey also shows weaknesses in the industry in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The price-performance ratio and poor internet availability are criticized by guests. Tourism Minister Meyer emphasized the economic importance of the industry for the state, but also pointed out the competition in this context: the number of overnight stays in Schleswig-Holstein, for example, is growing faster than in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Meyer: Locational disadvantage due to the strengthening of the AfD
At the same time, Meyer is also concerned that the political climate in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania could deter foreign travelers. “When you’re recruiting international guests, it’s important to have an open, welcoming culture on site,” emphasized Meyer. He specifically described the strengthening of the AfD as a disadvantage for the tourist region of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. For example, youth groups asked whether they could safely travel to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, even if half of the school class had a migrant background. The AfD’s tourism policy spokesman, Paul Timm, sees Meyer’s statement as a “crude thesis.” The AfD’s currently high poll numbers speak against Meyer’s claims when looking at the positive tourism figures from 2022.
Upswing after Corona and potential
New calculations on tourism as an economic factor have shown that tourism in the country has been on the upswing again since the corona pandemic, Meyer reported. According to this, the industry’s gross turnover was 7.1 billion euros in 2022, an increase of 5.4 percent compared to 2019. The tourism value added after deducting VAT and advance payments from gross turnover was 3.5 billion euros in 2022 (plus 6, 9 percent). According to Meyer, it is an important task for tourism in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to develop new target groups. This requires targeted tourism offers such as opening up to customs such as card payments, which have long been standard in Scandinavian countries.
Source : Tages Schau
