Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on the Development of the German Tourism Industry

Abstract

The years preceding the outbreak of the pandemic were the heyday of the German tourism industry. However, the end of 2019 marked a milestone in its successful development. The crisis caused by the COVID-19 virus has hurt all sectors of the world economy, including tourism. The year 2020 has become the most difficult for the German tourism and hospitality industry in many years and has forced a new assessment of the path traveled and the prospects for further development of this industry. People stopped traveling, visiting relatives, going to theaters and restaurants for a long time. Distance learning and the transfer of some employees to remote work are also controversial. However, in modern conditions, the acceleration of digitalization and the introduction of new technologies is an inevitable process. At the same time, the crisis allows the earth's ecosystem to recover, as production is partially stopped and carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere have significantly decreased. The pandemic forces people to think about the future and take the necessary measures for survival, realizing that they are part of a single ecosystem of our planet.