Baden-Württemberg: Many visitors and a good mood among Christmas market traders

Roasted almonds, mulled wine or handicrafts: this year, visitors were able to enjoy the Christmas markets again. The dealers in the south-west were satisfied, according to a showmen’s association.

Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) – for 31 days it glowed and smelled in Stuttgart: According to the organizers, the Stuttgart Christmas market was visited by over three million people. The number of visitors is only slightly below the level before the Corona pandemic. “We have reached our expectations and even slightly exceeded them,” said Andreas Kroll, Managing Director of in.Stuttgart Veranstaltungsgesellschaft.

The largest market in the South West comes to an end on (today) Friday. In general, exhibitors at the Christmas markets in the country draw a positive balance of the season.

The President of the State Association of Travel Trades and Showmen, Werner Burgmeier, told the German Press Agency: “After two years of a forced break due to corona, people were really looking forward to the markets and ensured a satisfactory result.” However, sales have not yet reached the pre-corona level again.

According to Burgmeier, visitors to the markets made targeted purchases, and spontaneous purchases were rarer. In view of inflation, rising energy prices and more expensive purchases of their goods, retailers could not avoid “moderate price adjustments”. In addition, there were problems with the procurement of products.

Recruiting staff was also difficult. The pandemic drove the permanent workforce into other industries. “It is very difficult to find staff, especially for the evening hours,” said the head of the association. The new minimum wage is also causing problems for the showmen. On the markets, gaps between the stalls can be seen, unlike in the past. The attractiveness of the markets for tourists from Switzerland, the Netherlands and France has also decreased somewhat.

Burgmeier estimates the number of traders at Christmas markets at 3000 in the southwest. About a third of the more than 1,000 communities in the south-west organize a Christmas market.