Lockdown in Germany: how Switzerland is arming itself against shopping tourism

Upside down shopping tourism: here’s how Switzerland gears up for the German “shopping spree”

Amid the hustle and bustle of Christmas, Germany closes shops on Wednesday. Consequently, many Germans in the area near the border would have to switch to Swiss stores. That carries risks.

Then Germany it is also possible Holland in the hard blockade: Prime Minister Rutte justified this, among other things, because of the shopping tourists from Germany. “Many mayors near the border feared that Germans would flock to the Dutch Christmas markets,” the prime minister told a news conference. With the blockade, the Dutch have closed the wave of German purchases. It is not like this Switzerlandthat, like the Netherlands, has long since merged with the neighboring country in some places.

Something like that Kreuzlingen TG. The border town of Lake Constance (22,000 inhabitants) forms a common urban area Konstanz (85,000 inhabitants). In normal times, Swiss shopping tourists flock to the malls near the German border.

From Wednesday it will go in the opposite direction. “This is a double-edged sword for us,” Thomas Niederberger, mayor of Kreuzlingen, tells Watson. On the one hand, local businesses and businesses would be happy with the additional Lockdown Germany clientele. On the other hand, it is currently important to limit contacts due to the virus. “It is important that protection concepts are adhered to even if there is a possible rush from German customers,” said the FDP politician. Despite the Christmas stress, don’t expect any traffic chaos in Kreuzlingen. “Our neighbors can quickly cross the border by bike, on foot or by public transportation,” says Niederberger.

The destination is likely to be the Karussell Kreuzlingen shopping center, where, in addition to the main tenant Coop, Manor, H&M and Ochsner Sport are competing for customers. Will additional (security) personnel be deployed due to the possible rush from Germany? The facility manager is unable to provide any information on Watson’s requests and is referring to Coop’s media office. It says there that during the Christmas season they trust “our effective protection concepts”, which are continually adapted to official requirements.

Fear of a “jerk”

But will the Germans come in droves given the high price level in Switzerland? Ruedi bartel, President of Gastro Thurgau, you have your doubts. This can be seen in restaurants that have been closed in Germany for several weeks. “Even in the border area there was no rush for Swiss taverns,” says the owner of Gasthaus Krone in Balterswil TG. And if so, the German guests would have only asked for minerals instead of wine due to the higher prices. But stores are more likely to be overrun than restaurants in the coming days because of the Christmas business, according to Bartel.

Is the virus spreading more because of shopping tourists? Lukas engelbergerPresident of the cantonal health directors, he fears that the stores opened in Switzerland will have a “pull effect” on residents of the German areas near the border. “This worries us from an epidemiological point of view, because it could lead to more infections,” he told CH-Media.

Local authorities are still relatively calm. Thurgau Health Director Urs Martin (SVP) expects a “slightly higher flow of visitors from Germany” in areas close to the border. However, in view of the tense situation in the healthcare system, too much travel is not welcome.

It now remains to be seen whether and to what extent our northern neighbors will make a pilgrimage to Switzerland. In Belgium, by the way, after the closure of the neighboring country, people are now afraid of a “Dutch wave” of shopping tourists, as a Belgian newspaper headlined.

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