Positive hospitality 2025

One positive development is that the food tax in Germany is being reduced back to 7%. This was promised a few years ago, but good things take time. Whether this will actually make food cheaper is doubtful, given the significant increase in other costs, but it might help many businesses stay afloat.

The next positive news item is certainly the Tagesschau's headline: German tourism is booming: Record numbers are driving growth

March 18, 2025 | Market and SME Editorial Team, Tagesschau

Campsites as winners: While hotels, inns, and guesthouses have not yet reached pre-crisis levels (-2.2 percent), campsites were able to increase their overnight stays by around 20 percent.

So, more like -2.2%, since campsites had 20% more overnight stays. Of course, that's not quite as good as the headline suggests, since campers tend to shop at supermarkets themselves, leaving little for restaurants and pubs. But at least the headline was nice – you don't always have to read to the end. The growth drivers probably apply more to supermarkets, gas stations, and campsite owners.

The outlook for cruises is better – both at sea and on rivers.

Yes, cruises will continue to be in high demand in 2025, experiencing a boom with record numbers of passengers and new builds, leading to high occupancy rates, but prices can vary:

River cruising is booming, especially when you look at the number of new ships scheduled for 2026 and 2027. However, with all-inclusive service (hotel, all meals, etc.), there's not much left over from the onshore experience. The increasing number of excursions, however, is a positive aspect. The major advantage of river cruise ships is undoubtedly their sustainability, as increasingly better vessels are being built, incorporating energy-saving innovations, and wastewater and waste disposal are also at a high level.

You have to dig a little deeper to find the positive aspects, but then again, truffles aren't exactly easy to find.