Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen
- There is nothing nice to talk about: "Often not a single customer comes for days," says Anna Maria Scheitterer.
The managing director of the AS Reisecenter in Bad Tölz is struggling with a decline in sales of around 90 percent.
The fact that the federal government has now declared eleven other regions in the EU to be risk areas in view of the increasing number of new corona infections, exacerbates the problem for travel agencies again.
"Business got off to a good start again in June and July, I was surprised myself," says Nikolaus Würmseer, managing director of the Schöfmann travel agency and of Tölzer Autoreisen.
In his view, the renewed travel warnings nullify this positive development in one fell swoop: “You really notice that demand is falling again sharply.” The businessman is happy not only to have air travel on offer.
“If I didn't have bus tourism, it would look bad.” According to Würmseer, the day trips within Germany are “relatively good”.
Travel agencies are not benefiting from the "vacation at home" trend
Ralf Hecher's two travel agencies of the same name in Wolfratshausen and Geretsried are not benefiting from this trend towards “vacation at home”.
"People tend to book the hotels in Germany and Austria directly," says the managing director.
Most of the work is done by his eight employees at the moment with the second wave of cancellations, triggered by the renewed travel warnings.
Ralf Hecher will soon apply to the state for the third time for bridging aid.
This offer has been extended until the end of the year.
If the situation on the travel market does not improve by then, it will be difficult.
The businessman hopes that customers will book again in July and August, when there were hardly any travel warnings.
"There was at least a little something."
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At the Wolf Travel travel agency in Wolfratshausen, Daniel Lipp looks to the future with concern.
"It's scary," said Lipp, one of two managing directors.
"We have been fighting existential fears for four to five months." The decline in sales is around 85 percent.
The problem is complex: Travel within Germany is not part of Wolf Travel's core business.
Long-distance travel is possible.
The airlines do not go to the destinations: It is not worthwhile because too few passengers want to fly.
And travel warnings would exist for the classic holiday destinations.
"Only Greece is still possible, toi toi toi," says Lipp.
The travel agency can stay afloat until June - also thanks to the bridging aids.
Lipp hopes that Wolf Travel will not suffer the same fate afterwards as the Happy Holiday travel agency in Wolfratshausen.
As reported, it had to close in the summer.
"The situation is catastrophic"
It's not that far with Anna Maria Scheitterer.
"But the situation is catastrophic," says the managing director of the AS Reisecenter.
The woman from Tölz wants to wait until February before deciding how to proceed for her travel agency.
They are already plagued by existential fears.
Like most travel agencies, the businesswoman has also reduced the opening hours and put both of her employees on short-time work.
She herself holds the position and tries to prepare her few customers as well as possible for the respective regulations at the holiday destination.
For example, you currently need a QR code to travel to Greece.
This must be requested prior to departure.
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Andrea Schuster did just that and spent a great vacation in Greece.
Now the head of the TUI travel center is back at work - but has hardly anything to do.
“It's relatively quiet at the moment,” says Schuster.
Schuster does not currently want to make a forecast of how the industry will continue.
According to her, the travel warnings expire at the end of September.
"Then the Federal Foreign Office apparently wants to make more differentiated decisions." Schuster estimates that the TUI travel center is doing a little better than private travel agencies.
"If things go on like this for a long time, big corporations like TUI will also face difficulties."
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