Wiesbaden, 01 Februar 2017 –
It is official now: According to a publication of the German Statistics Bureau, the previous year brought up a new tourism record with 448 overnight stays (+3%). Although data have not yet been fully analysed, the existing data from January until November allow this forecast. The continually growing number of guests from abroad (+3%) is still an important motor of the tourism boom.
There are some measures to ensure the growth of hospitality, which is spoiled by success anyway:
- To provide all communication materials in different languages, for example websites, social postings, direct booking tools, menu, regional information about events/shopping/art/culture
- Multilingualism amongst front office and service staff: English (fluently spoken and written), Mandarin (greeting and farewell in Mandarin for the increasing number of guests from the Middle Kingdom)
- To strengthen foreign marketing on tourism and trade fairs: To support the work of regional tourism organisations and the German National Tourism Board; To start your own initiative, also together with other hotel operators, if necessary.
- Tourism ministry: Stand up for the establishment of an own tourism ministry. After three consecutive terms with a Federal Government Commissioner for Tourism (ranked as state secretary), it is time to decide about an economic policy authority with cross-divisional planning function in infrastructure, economic development and taxation policy.
- Innovative gastronomy: smart catering concepts are an important factor for the location development in tourism. Urbane and experienced hotel operators are in demand to promote the gastronomy in classical holiday and leisure regions with their background information about Food Trend Scouting and appropriate food concepts for everybody.
- To promote promising young people and top talents: Enhance the content and training materials of apprenticeships in the hospitality sector through additional trainings in food and beverages and – as important as that – in all fields of digitalisation. Top-talents want to be challenged as well in the future, for example with online trainings. Establish an own academy, if necessary in association with other hotel operators.