in January, the Swiss hotel industry drove the second best result for almost three decades. The number of overnight stays climbed for the first time since 1992, to 3,016 million. The money flowed in Streams. The prospects were bright. Then the Coronavirus broke out across the country and brought the Swiss tourism is the biggest crisis in its recent history.
VIEWS are now available for the first time, Figures show how precarious it is to the Swiss tourism and particularly the hotel industry. A yet unpublished report by Roland Schegg (57), a Professor at the Institute for tourism of the University of applied Sciences Western Switzerland, HES-SO Valais-Wallis on behalf of the Association, Hotelleriesuisse and Switzerland tourism, shows an industry on the verge of collapse.
billion sales way
fall on the basis of annual turnover, the Swiss hotel industry of 10.2 billion Swiss francs, Schegg attributed alone from March to may, with a loss of turnover of almost two billion Swiss francs. The total Swiss tourism to be missed by the corona virus until the end of the year, to 6.4 billion Swiss francs. A decline in sales of 18 percent.
The report is based on a survey of more than 2000 tourism businesses. This includes Hotels, restaurants, accommodations and mountain lifts. Most of the losses Schegg of the Canton of Ticino and in the cities of Zurich, Basel, and Geneva are affected, according to the Professor. They particularly suffer from the complete collapse of the business and Congress tourism. For April Schegg expects a decline in sales by 90 percent!
International customers to stay
“After the terrorist attack of 11. September 2001 in New York, especially guests from the USA were missing, in the case of Sars, the Asians stayed away from, in the case of the Euro crisis, the Europeans. Now they are missing from all over the world, from all origin markets,” adds Martin Nydegger (47), Director of Switzerland tourism. The entire industry was affected in all regions of Switzerland. “Every fourth tourism operation is existentially threatened,” said Nydegger.
A third of all establishments in the Hotel and catering industry estimates, according to the report, the bankruptcy risk as high. Alone, these two sectors generate an annual turnover of 28.4 billion Swiss francs and employ throughout the country over 250 000 employees. And yet no one can say with any certainty how the summer business will develop.
A toxic Mix
How dramatic the Situation is, forecasts from the holiday Canton of Graubünden. “Currently, eight percent of the Grisons Hotels have opened in the ordinary course of the operation,” says Martin Vincenz (57), chief of the marketing organization of the Grisons holiday. “First it is expected that the graubünden tourism revenues of up to 200 million Swiss francs to be missed.” And the only between the abrupt end of the season and the beginning of may!
Particularly threatening, the Corona is a commercial crisis for the hotel industry and gastronomy and their employees because the companies can’t sell their services as a watch or a car later on. “Hotel rooms cannot be stored,” says Christian Laesser (57), a Professor of tourism at the University of St. Gallen. “Is not provided, the service line, it is lost irrevocably.”
short-time work as valables medium
to run at the same time cost more. Therefore, it needs state emergency relief. Short-time working funds and liquidity assistance to a Dismissal – and a wave of bankruptcies avoid. In addition, the banks have opened their credit-breaker for Corona-damaged companies. The Federal guarantees.
“With the short-time work compensation, after all, the personnel costs majority can be covered,” says Jürg Stettler (55), head of the Institute for tourism Economics at the University of Lucerne. “That helps, because the personnel costs in many Hotels, the largest cost block.” The Instrument of short-time working is used more active: According to the state Secretariat for economic Affairs Seco 40 percent of the more than 750 000 applications from hospitality industry, hospitality and tourism just.
A “collective tragedy”
This will not suffice, “because the depending on the Size and location of the hotel very high rent payments are covered,” stresses Stettler. “If the current Situation should take longer, not be the stomach for all the Hotels – you will go bankrupt.”
For Pascale Berclaz (48), Director of the marketing organization! Tourism, this is a “collective tragedy for the people, the tourism and the economy in Switzerland”. She believes that the consequences of the Corona-crisis “throw the profitability is weak in the Tourism industry in the development and the Switzerland as a location for major damage to be add”.
Coronavirus
The Coronavirus currently holds the world in suspense. Many countries are taking measures such as Closing schools or limiting public events, to prevent the spread. In Switzerland, too, the grass, the Virus magnetized. All of the current information and Figures around the topic there is in the Coronavirus-Ticker.
I Have the corona virus or just the flu?
The Coronavirus spreads further – also in Switzerland. Especially in the flu season, you can assess for yourself whether one is ill with the Coronavirus, or whether you just have an ordinary flu. The differences are subtle, but they exist. VIEWS is defined.
protection against Coronavirus
recommendations of the Federal office for health, how you can protect yourself:
Hygiene
wash your hands: Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or use a Hand sanitizer. Don’t sneeze, you Sneeze into the hands, or cough in a handkerchief; or if you have none, in the bend of your elbow. Handkerchiefs to dispose of properly: paper towels, should be disposed of after use in a closed waste bin. You stay in fever and cough necessarily at home.
contact minimize
Stay home and avoid wherever possible contact with people. You go only in the following exceptional situations, out of the house: the food doctor shopping or pharmacy visit / the home office is for your job not possible / you have to help other people. You keep if possible 2 meters distance to your fellow human beings, for example, in a line or at meetings. Avoid contact with people breathing or have a cough. You avoid public transport. You can be all that is possible to home deliver. Important: No welcome kiss, no hugs, no shaking hands.
stay Informed
Note the local instructions and recommendations. Strictly to the rules and announcements of the authorities. Infoline Coronavirus: 058 463 00 00, 24 hours a day available Info-page of the BAG: bag-coronavirus.
when should the ch one to the doctor?
do not Go out in the symptoms (difficulty breathing, cough, or fever) in the Public and contact you immediately – first by phone, a Doctor, a doctor or a health care facility.
patience
remains The Situation until Further notice. The Federal government informed in regular intervals about the current developments. It applies now more than ever: peace and quiet preserved, and the thing in common to serve.
