Bozo Lukac, landlord of the Marienhof in Bad Tölz, has to interrupt the conversation on the phone twice – the guests ask for him. As always in the summer months, his hotel is well booked this year, despite or perhaps because of the pandemic. Corona has long slowed tourism in Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen and the surrounding area. After a difficult time in winter and spring, the hotel owners are slowly getting better.
As in the previous Corona summer, the region even seems to benefit from the fact that many Germans are choosing to vacation in their own country because of the pandemic. “The clientele is different than it used to be,” says Bozo Lukac. This year, a large number of travelers who were in the area for the first time had checked into his hotel. “It’s not that easy when you are used to package holidays abroad,” says the landlord with a laugh.
Figures from the State Office for Statistics confirm that tourism in the district is slowly recovering. In June, around 20 percent more overnight guests arrived in Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen than in the same month last year – but almost a third fewer than in 2019, i.e. before Corona. The pandemic losses are much more evident in the half-year balance: From January to June, the district only visited around 57,000 overnight guests this year – compared to 183,000 in 2019. The lockdown in spring left its mark.
“As expected, things got off to a tough start at Whitsun”, reports the Tölz spa director Brita Hohenreiter. Since July, however, there have hardly been any gaps in the accommodation establishments. “Finding something in the short term is a huge problem at the moment.” In addition, there is a partially limited offer: some houses are not allowed to be used to full capacity due to hygiene requirements. There is a special “run” on holiday apartments this summer, observes Hohenreiter. After all, these would offer more space and independence than small hotel rooms.
Like the Tölzer landlord Lukac, Hohenreiter also reports on many tourists in the region who would otherwise go on holiday abroad: “When Mallorca was declared a high incidence area, we had tons of inquiries the next day.” At least they were only put off by the bad weather. The need to finally be able to go on vacation again seems too great.
“We notice Corona at every point”
There have been no major losses among foreign holidaymakers, says Hohenreiter. The big cities would have to struggle with that. “Thank goodness we have never been dependent on the foreign market here.” According to the State Office for Statistics, around seven percent of overnight guests in the district came from abroad in the first half of 2019, i.e. before Corona, and around four percent in the first half of this year.
Most of the rooms at the Edeltraut Inn in Walchensee are also occupied by German guests. But there are still a few foreign visitors from Austria or the Netherlands, says junior landlady Alexandra Öttl. Your pension is fully booked over the summer holidays. “The Walchensee is bursting at the seams at the moment.” Sometimes her phone rings every five minutes, says the landlady.
Many Germans choose to vacation in their own country. The campsite “Beim Fischer” in Sankt Heinrich is fully booked.
(Photo: Hartmut Pöstges)
Although operations are currently going well, she explains: “We notice Corona at every point.” In the adjoining restaurant, the seating had to be adjusted and the tablecloths removed for reasons of hygiene. Every now and then there are discussions about wearing a mask. “That is annoying. We are an economy and not a kindergarten,” says Öttl.
Anyone who is currently checking into a hotel or guesthouse in Bavaria must be vaccinated, recovered or tested. When the incidence was above 50, a test was even due every 48 hours. “In the spring, a few people canceled or rebooked because they didn’t feel like doing it,” says Öttl. Now there is only the problem of fewer test centers. Some guests have to send them almost to Garmisch because there are hardly any opportunities for testing in the vicinity. Most of the newcomers are already double vaccinated anyway.
The three G rule also applies to the campsites in the district. “At the moment things are going really well,” says Susanne Huber, operator of the “Beim Fischer” campsite in Sankt Heinrich. Similar to last year, the demand is very high this Corona summer, and people have to turn it down again and again. “Especially at the beginning of the season you noticed how relieved the people were that they finally got out of home,” says Huber. Every now and then it happens that she has to send people home “who do not believe in this virus”, but the majority of the guests adhere to the rules.
In the main season it is always full in Lenggries – this year too
In order to make the campsite suitable for corona, the operators have taken some precautions: the reception has been moved outside, in the sanitary building there are partition walls between the washbasins and the doors remain open. “People like the way we deal with it,” says Huber. Only now and then there are problems, for example when guests from federal states arrive with different rules: “In some countries, children only need a test certificate from the age of twelve, but in Bavaria from the age of six. That is quite inconvenient.”
Anneliese Kaltenhauser from the Lenggries Tourist Information also notes that tourism in the district has almost reached the pre-Corona level again, at least in the past few weeks. “In the main season we are actually always full, and that also applies to this year.”
Not only rooms and holiday apartments are in great demand, but also leisure activities. Because, among other things, fewer people are allowed to participate in guided hikes due to Corona, the offer has been expanded, said Kaltenhauser. The lantern walks for families are now taking place more often.
Despite the current workload, everyone is happy that business is finally starting up again, says Kaltenhauser. The Tölz spa director Hohenreiter affirmed: “This is imperative for the hosts and the leisure industry.” One hopes that it won’t be over too soon.