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In Vorarlberg, the travel advisory “hit like a bomb,” says Gregor Hoch of Oberlecher’s 5-star Hotel Sonnenburg. “German guests have canceled, reservations for October and November have completely collapsed.” Admittedly, now is not the prime season, but if such a travel warning comes before Christmas, the industry may heat up. After all, depending on the region and the business, German guests account for 45 to 60 percent of overnight stays. In Zillertal, around 80 percent of the guests are currently German, estimates cable car spokesman Franz Hörl. “It cannot be assumed that everyone will stay there.”
Also in the city of Salzburg, hoteliers tremble at a travel warning as a Christmas greeting from Berlin. “If there is a travel warning for several federal states, the whole of Austria is automatically affected,” says Andreas Gfrerer of the city hotel Blaue Gans. After all, the German health minister had not only advised against mountain holidays, but also flat-rate trips abroad. A travel warning at Christmas would also be fatal in cities. “For us, December is the second busiest month of the year”, he refers, among other things, to the Christmas markets. For guests, looking at the number of infections is now as natural as looking at the weather report.
A “disaster” would be a travel warning, but not just for tourism, is emphasized in the office of Governor Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP). Bavaria and Salzburg are closely intertwined in many ways. “Reduced border traffic”, for example to work, go shopping, visit friends or family, is part of everyday life. “That is why we are trying very hard to reduce the number of infections, for example by moving the curfew to 10 pm so as not to approach the critical value,” says a Haslauers spokesperson.
