This number is impressive: the companies in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district affected by the Corona crisis have so far received over 97.5 million euros in government aid.
Above all, the key industry, the lockdown-plagued hospitality industry, had to be supported.
District
- The corona pandemic shocked the economy.
The months-long compulsory breaks in public life affected many industries, primarily hotels and restaurants as well as retail.
Experts agree: The short-time work and the substantial financial injections made a significant contribution to preventing worse things from happening.
The state launched aid programs worth billions to help the battered companies survive the dry spell.
Various utilities
Here in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district, grants totaling more than 97.5 million euros have been paid out since July 2020 - in the form of bridging aid I to III, restart aid and November and December aid. A total of over 3,400 applications have been approved so far. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) for Munich and Upper Bavaria cites these figures in a press release. The umbrella association handles the economic aid on behalf of the Bavarian state government. In the Free State, these have so far amounted to 6.2 billion euros. In addition, there was 2.2 billion euros in emergency aid from the district governments. Almost half went into the hospitality industry.
"The burden on the economy from the corona pandemic is considerable, and the aid paid out only covers part of the costs and losses caused by the pandemic, despite the fact that it is millions," says Peter Lingg, chairman of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Chamber of Industry and Commerce regional committee. Some industries such as the event industry are still affected by closings and restrictions. “You still need support,” demands the chairman of the Kreissparkasse. Nevertheless, he looks to the future with optimism: "Confidence is coming back." The region, which lives off tourism, got through the Covid 19 crisis "better than feared".
It sounds similar with Sebastian Kramer, managing director of the Zugspitz Region GmbH and economic developer of the district.
His prognosis: If the summer season goes well, the resulting dent can be "moderated to some extent".
However, he is concerned about the retail trade, which not only has to cope with the corona losses, but also with growing competition - be it on the Internet or in the form of discounters who are increasingly cashing in with non-food products.
Kramer is convinced: Without the 97.5 million aid from the state coffers, the situation would look bleak.
Because: "Many companies would not have survived that."
"Got away with a black eye"
“We got away with it with a black eye,” said Daniel Schimmer, local chairman of the Bavarian Hotel and Restaurant Association in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is now crucial that there is no new lockdown in the coming autumn and winter. The companies would need a clear perspective for this.