The Hessian spas and health resorts are struggling with the consequences of the pandemic. The regulations on the containment of the Virus mean, among other things, a drastic decline in revenue from the collection of the tourist tax in the millions. The Spa Association is skeptical when the Generation of the “60 plus”, again without restriction on travel can go. In the past year, the number of Overnight stays, the spas and health resorts in the state of Hesse, approximately 10 million overnight Stays. In addition, around 31 million day visitors. Overall, the Hessian of health sites reached with their activities of Spa and tourism with a gross turnover of 2.3 billion euros. More than 40 000 jobs are directly or indirectly, of the spas depending on the.
Oliver Bock
correspondent of the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis and Wiesbaden.
F. A. Z. Twitter
Schlangenbad is no exception, despite its manageable infrastructure. After all, the idyllic forest location with outdoor thermal pool will open again in July, albeit with limitations, and three defined in the swim. The Aesculapian-Therme, however, is foreseeable as a Bath only the local clinics and clubs open, the use of thermal baths for therapeutic purposes.
Municipalization of the chronically loss-making public baths
in the Middle of the crisis, the managing Director of the Board goes. A long-planned departure. Roswitha Röber took over the task in 2004, after the state of Hesse forced Municipalization of the chronically loss-making public baths. Röber has managed to do business with the country abgetrotzten “dowry” in the amount of approximately three million euros, so carefully that there is still a six-digit amount is in the reserve. According to the Corona-crisis, the money will be used up, however, and then only 6000 inhabitants, the municipality must cover the annual deficit of just under 200 000 Euro from the budget.
their self-chosen parting had presented Röber understandably different than in crisis mode. The annual financial statements for 2019 has, exceptionally, a deficit of 500,000 euros, while in the previous year, 170,000 euros to compensate for the loss were required. This can be explained from the urgently necessary renovation of the Sauna, and larger repairs in the indoor swimming pool. Nevertheless, the municipal company for the year-end had cash and cash equivalents in the amount of 464.000 euros. For 2020 Röber expects a loss of almost 350 000 Euro and for 2021 even with 560,000 euros.
Saving is difficult, and the financial situation will not improve even if the municipality leaves the Land granted to the baths penny of their communal daughter. For this, the municipality had transferred her 2016, the responsibility for the chronically loss-making swimming pool.
normalization health resorts
The Staatsbad GmbH for the municipality of five business segments: the operation of the baths and the outdoor swimming pool in addition to Sauna, tourist info, tourist marketing to the outside and the care of the thermal springs. With the mid-March forced the closure of the Spa, indoor pool, outdoor pool, and a Sauna Röber lost almost all sources of revenue. There is also a severe downturn in the tourist tax due to the temporary forced closure of the Hotels. The response was to send the staff of the tourist info in short-time working, the water from the pools drain and the technology to turn off to save power. After all, the light at the end of the tunnel begins to emerge.
