In the heart of the German capital, on the occasion of the 26th Tourism Summit, the leaders of the German travel industry, represented by the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW) and the German Travel Association (DRV), addressed a pressing appeal to the new federal government. Before a high-profile audience of around 350 participants from the worlds of business, politics, and the media, gathered at the renowned Hotel Adlon, BTW President Sören Hartmann and DRV General Manager Achim Wehrmann expressed their urgent expectations of the country's political leadership.
At the heart of their demands were the creation of a stable and reliable framework, the reduction of paralyzing bureaucracy, and policies that strengthen confidence in Germany as a business location through reliability and clear communication. The tenor of the summit was that the travel industry now expects decisive action from the new government to unlock the industry's immense growth potential and sustainably secure its international competitiveness.
Federal Council President Sören Hartmann opened the debate with a clear statement: "We are a growth market if the framework conditions are right." He emphasized the immense importance of tourism for the German economy, which not only creates and secures jobs but also contributes significantly to regional value creation. While Hartmann acknowledged the initial positive signs in the government's current coalition agreement, he also called for the swift and consistent implementation of the measures outlined therein in order to provide the urgently needed relief for companies in the sector.
The triumvirate of demands: reducing bureaucracy, tax relief and future-oriented mobility
The tourism industry's core demands can be concentrated on three key areas. First, the reduction of bureaucracy, which is perceived as oppressive and particularly burdens small and medium-sized enterprises in the sector. Concrete steps are called for to simplify administrative processes and eliminate unnecessary requirements. Second, tax relief for companies and travelers themselves. The retention of the reduced VAT rate for meals in restaurants is welcomed, as is the demand for lower air traffic fees to make Germany more competitive as an aviation location. Third, investments in a future-oriented and efficient mobility infrastructure are called for. This includes the expansion of rail transport, the promotion of alternative forms of propulsion, and ensuring good connections to tourist destinations. The industry also considers flexible working time arrangements an important factor for competitiveness in order to be able to respond to seasonal fluctuations.
Hartmann emphasized the importance of the government's recently adopted emergency program as a first positive signal. There is high expectation within the industry that this program will initiate the first concrete measures before the start of the summer holidays, which will provide noticeable relief for companies and have a positive impact on citizens' travel behavior. The overarching goal must be to sustainably strengthen Germany's economic performance as a whole and, in doing so, finally give the important service sectors, of which tourism undoubtedly belongs, the attention they deserve.
Surviving in global competition: Fair conditions required
The tourism industry recognizes the need for Germany's economic recovery to not focus primarily on industrial policy. Rather, policymakers must recognize that tourism is an equally integral and indispensable building block for Germany as a business location, contributing significantly to the creation and safeguarding of jobs and to regional value creation. In this context, Hartmann emphasized the fundamental importance of reliability and clear, comprehensible communication on the part of political decision-makers. Politicians are called upon to once again assume a unifying role instead of dividing through polarizing tendencies, and to decisively counter the worrying advance of populism in order to create a stable and positive economic climate.
Another central point of the demands concerns the creation of fair competitive conditions in the international context, especially within the European Union. The industry complains about increasing overregulation and calls for the reduction of existing burdens and the avoidance of new ones to ensure that German travel agencies and tour operators can continue to compete globally and develop their innovative strength.
Strengthening Germany's position as a hub for aviation was also identified as an urgent concern. The associations see an urgent need for action here to ensure competitiveness by reducing high taxes and fees. Furthermore, they call for increased investment in the research and development of future-oriented, possibly synthetic, aviation fuels, as well as the consistent expansion of shore-side power supplies in German seaports to establish modern and sustainable standards.
The German Travel Insurance Fund in focus: DRV urges faster relief for tour operators
Another important topic on the tourism summit's agenda was the German Travel Security Fund (DRSF). In this context, DRV Managing Director Achim Wehrmann called for a rapid reduction in the annual fees paid by tour operators below the critical level of one percent of their respective turnover.
Given the fund's proven solid capital base, such a reduction is certainly feasible. The recent insolvency of the tour operator FTI impressively demonstrated that the guarantee system fundamentally works and can effectively limit the financial losses for affected travelers. At the same time, Wehrmann emphasized the need to adjust the criteria for depositing collateral in order to better protect the solidarity community of tour operators from unforeseen major losses in the future and to distribute the burden more fairly.
Critical discussion of EU plans for the Package Travel Directive
The planned revision of the Package Travel Directive at the European level also met with strong criticism from representatives of the tourism industry. In particular, the introduction of mandatory arbitration bodies, which is being discussed in Brussels, is strongly rejected by the German Travel Association (DRV). The association strongly argues that such additional institutions would simply incur unnecessary costs without improving consumer protection in any measurable way. The consistently high level of traveler satisfaction with package tours, which according to the DRV remains at over 90 percent, as well as the very low complaint rate in the low single digits, in no way prove the necessity of such mandatory arbitration bodies.
Finally, the industry issued an urgent appeal to politicians not to lose sight of so-called outgoing tourism, i.e., travel by German citizens abroad. Travel is no longer a matter of luxury, but rather an essential component of quality of life, social participation, and an indispensable contribution to international understanding and cultural exchange. Politicians therefore have a duty to shape the framework so that travel remains affordable for broad sections of the population in the future and possible without unnecessary hurdles. The demands formulated at the 26th Tourism Summit in Berlin impressively underscore the immense importance of the tourism industry for the German economy and society as a whole and illustrate the industry's urgent desire for supportive and reliable policies that set the right course for future growth and sustainable success.
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