A new detailed study commissioned by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs shows how much money the Bavarian economy lost due to the tourism slump in the Corona pandemic. The so-called total tourist consumption fell from 47.5 billion euros in 2019 to 27.9 billion in 2020. This value not only takes into account accommodation and gastronomy, but also, for example, the effect of tourism on transport, wholesale, art, culture or retail.
The most important items in 2019 were restaurant services with 10.2 billion euros, shopping with 9.3 billion and accommodation with six billion. Overall, the study, which DIW Econ prepared on behalf of the ministry, counts 416,600 employees whose jobs – as of 2019 – are directly related to tourism and the products demanded by tourists. Another 131,800 jobs depend indirectly on tourism. Together, this accounted for 7.1 percent of total employment in Bavaria. In the first Corona year 2020, the values then dropped significantly, but then recovered again.
“Corona was a nightmare for our tourism experts,” said Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (free voters). “Fortunately, we have overcome this trauma. The industry is back on track and can now build on old success figures again.”
The minister also emphasized the fundamental importance of tourism for Bavaria. “It flushes money into a wide variety of industries. Because not only the hospitality industry, but also retail, the leisure sector, the cultural industry and the entire service industry benefit from strong tourist demand.” For the people, that means “added value, prosperity and jobs”.