According to a survey, the Covid-19 pandemic jeopardized the survival of one in seven German companies, or 14%, in December 2021.
Travel agencies and tour operators, as well as companies in the event industry, in Germany, are particularly vulnerable, with 73.2 percent and 67.4 percent fearing for their survival, respectively, according to a report released by the Munich-based ifo Institute on Monday. The situation in the country's restaurant and catering industries, as well as the hotel business, was only marginally better.
According to a recent member survey by the German Hotel and Restaurant Association, revenues in the lodging and restaurant business were 50% below pre-crisis levels in December due to Covid-19 measures such as a restriction on big public gatherings and club closures (DEHOGA). "The business is being struck extremely hard again by the tightening of Covid-19 laws," DEHOGA president Guido Zoellick said, demanding for additional government help for the country's hotel industry.
The retail industry in Germany was also becoming more gloomy, with the percentage of enterprises worrying for their existence rising from 14.4% to 17.1% in only six months. "Consumer restraint is also a factor," said Klaus Wohlrabe, head of ifo surveys. In Germany, consumer morale was affected by the present path of the Covid-19 pandemic and the expected fifth wave owing to the Omicron strain.
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