Anyone planning to visit Therme Erding spontaneously at the moment could be unlucky: It is almost fully occupied every day during the summer holidays, which is also due to the fact that only half of the maximum possible visitors are allowed due to the corona pandemic. Even with the current resolutions of the federal government, spa owner Jörg Wund does not see any improvement in the situation.
“At around fifty percent, no profits can be made. But we try everything to keep the losses as low as possible. With an 80 percent occupancy rate, we would be in the plus. But currently, no one can imagine the Therme Erding as well attended. not even me. ” The thermal baths are currently preparing to implement the 3G rule. “The test station at our Hotel Victory can test 250 guests, a tripling is currently being prepared. A test in front of the thermal baths is also being considered,” says Wund.
1850 guests are currently allowed into the textile area, as authorized signatory Marcus Maier says. If the weather is bad, only 1450 because there are more people inside. In the sauna area, the upper limit is 850 and 650 guests, respectively. If you want to visit the Erdinger Therme, you should register online beforehand so that you don’t go to Erding for free. Marcus Maier hopes, however, that the weather will continue to be stable and beautiful, because then additional contingents can be activated for the weekend and Friday. But this does not apply to the Hotel Victory and the guest house. Both are “fully booked” by the end of August.
Neither Maier nor Jörg Wund are happy with the course in politics after more than 300 days of forced closure due to Covid-19. “The determined incidence of 35 is far too low. We will exceed this value in the next few days, and we could see values around or over 80 during the summer holidays,” says Wund. And he recalls that Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) said on July 21 that 200 was the new 50. “So much for the political commitments,” notes Wund. In order to give as many as possible the chance to visit the thermal baths, prepare for the implementation of the 3G rule – vaccinated, recovered or tested – and expand the capacity in your own test station.
The topic owner is still waiting for the November and December aid
But the thermal bath owner is not only unhappy with the current decisions regarding Covid-19: “Unfortunately, neither the November nor the December aid from 2020 has been paid out to this day , very disappointed. As bridging aid III, we only received around 14 percent of the loss in sales for the year 2021. A small drop on a hot sauna stone. The official closings have currently caused sales losses of over 50 million in both thermal baths and in the hotel, “says Jörg Wund .
Nonetheless, investments are being made, although the thermal baths have to accept more restrictions than comparable systems in other countries and although more restrictions are threatening again with higher incidence figures. Marcus Maier refers to Austria, but also Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. “Up to an incidence of 35 there are virtually no restrictions.” Weddings and infusions in the saunas are also allowed there. “Bavaria is rigidly adhering to its regulation from the time after the first lockdown, when no one was vaccinated against Corona,” says Maier. One is able to open only to vaccinated, tested and convalescent.
The refurbishment of the core thermal baths and the vitality oasis are indirectly affected by the corona pandemic. “Nine companies with over 80 fitters are currently working on bringing the old thermal baths up to date with the latest technology. The common goal is to make the reopening on October 3rd, our 22nd birthday, a present for our guests,” says Wund. Material and manpower are scarce, however, and the work – for example on the dome – would therefore drag on longer than planned until mid / end of September.
After the long periods of closure, there is also a shortage of staff – including trainees. “We have been able to hire a few employees in the last few days, but for the reopening after the basic renovation and for the additional offers in winter we need 20 to 25 additional employees from October,” says Wund.