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Iodine sulfur bath Bad Wiessee still in the red: CSU spokesman Florian Sareiter calls for a change of strategy

2022-11-29T16:46:04.904Z


When building the new iodine sulfur bath, the municipality of Bad Wiessee opted for luxury - with the aim of getting out of the red. More than two years after opening, the bath is a long way from that. For CSU spokesman Florian Sareiter it is clear: It must not go on like this.


When building the new iodine sulfur bath, the municipality of Bad Wiessee opted for luxury - with the aim of getting out of the red.

More than two years after opening, the bath is a long way from that.

For CSU spokesman Florian Sareiter it is clear: It must not go on like this.

Bad Wiessee

- "The puppy protection for our pool is over," said Sareiter in the municipal council.

His conclusion after the report by Jodbad managing director Helmut Karg: Despite all efforts, it was not possible to get the business up and running: "We simply have too few guests." The municipality is budgeting "extremely high" for the opening in June 2020 to keep new bathroom in operation.

In 2021 it was 950,000 euros, for 2022 they decided 780,000 euros.

In doing so, an important point in the overall concept had changed, Sareiter recalled.

Actually, the 7.6 million euro iodine-sulphur bath and a new vitality bath should have complemented each other.

"But the Vitalbad is shelved, it's not coming," said Sareiter.

His assessment is based on the fact that Bad Wiessee cannot replace the former bathing park with a new building.

As reported, the community announced this in July.

According to the message, a new swimming pool could only be built in cooperation with all valley communities.

“We have to be much more inventive”

For Sareiter, the point has been reached at which Bad Wiessee should think intensively about the future of the iodine sulfur bath: "We have to be much more inventive if we want to get out of the red." He assured that managing director Karg was not to blame for the situation .

A few minutes earlier, Karg had been able to enjoy the appreciative applause of the panel.

In a comprehensive presentation, the managing director outlined the facility's current figures.

Despite the extremely difficult framework conditions caused by the pandemic and staff shortages, the result targeted for 2022 was achieved, says Karg.

The subsidy requirement as of October 31 was 110,000 euros lower than in the previous year.

The occupancy rate of the baths is 65 to 70 percent: "When I started it was 20 percent." From his point of view, the municipality of Bad Wiessee can only be congratulated on the new building.

"In its previous form, the company was not viable."

With the new building, according to Karg, the community has gained a new target group.

The former regular customers make up only 17.9 percent of the guests.

"More than 80 percent of them are new customers." People with a corresponding budget.

The iodine bath is now too expensive for the regular customers of the past

But where have the regular customers gone?

A question Sareiter wanted answered.

Karg didn't beat around the bush.

Before the new building, a bath cost 25 euros.

"If you go into a different price range, that leads to separation," said Karg.

Now self-payers have to shell out 60 euros for a 50-minute swim.

If baths are prescribed, the result is much less: 19.20 euros are reimbursed by health insurance companies per application.

Wouldn't it be better to exclude the €19.20 clientele?

This question came from Christoph von Preysing (CSU).

Mayor Robert Kühn (SPD) did not like the direction.

It was always important to the community to also open the pool to patients with statutory health insurance, he recalled.

And Karg doesn't want to exclude this clientele either.

At this tariff, the baths do not cover costs, but customers often get a taste for it and then afford the treatment at their own expense.

increase attractiveness

Karg took Sareiter's request to rethink the pool concept as an opportunity to recall the suggestions he had already made to increase the length of stay: "Unfortunately, they were rejected." increase.

"And that's the key."

SPD spokesman Bernd Kuntze-Fechner sees “a whole lot of potential” in the new iodine bath – and demands support for the facility from the municipal council: “A signal of strength should come from this house.” The bath got off to the worst possible start because of Corona , but now slowly start to walk.

Johannes von Miller (Greens) spoke of a jewel that should be preserved.

Even Kühn did not want to enter into a fundamental discussion about the future of the bathroom.

He left it at wishing Karg a “fantastic final spurt” as the year is coming to an end.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-11-29

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