In the years before the corona pandemic, tourism was only expected to grow. Year after year, the travel expenses of Germans increased significantly and tourism was considered a growth sector of the German economy.
The turning point came in the year 2020 when the travel expenses fell by over 50%. In 2021, travel expenses continued to fall and effects were massive: travel agencies, tour operators and many other companies in the industry were struggling to survive.
Political support was necessary to support and secure almost 3 million jobs in the industry. The decline in German tourism also created consequences in many destination countries, because in the pre-Corona years, German travelers were among the largest net earners of foreign exchange in international travel.
