Vacationers in MV: Rising prices cause trouble despite record numbers!

Vacationers in MV: Rising prices cause trouble despite record numbers!

Tourism in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will be pleasingly stable in 2025. Again Northern Courier reports, the state is on track to record the second-best half-year since the fall of communism, with an increase in guest arrivals of 2.6 percent and a slight increase in overnight stays of 0.9 percent. The Mecklenburg Baltic Sea coast and West Mecklenburg in particular are enjoying growth, while Western Pomerania and the island of Usedom are recording declines.

“We have shown a good hand in the performance of our hosts,” said Economics Minister Wolfgang Blank, who underlined the positive developments. Cities such as Wismar and Rostock were able to increase the number of overnight stays, and the Schwerin Castle Museum also recorded a 10 percent increase in guests. Overall, a survey shows that 53 percent of businesses are satisfied with the peak season, which represents an increase of 16 percent compared to the previous year.

Challenges for the industry

Despite these positive developments, there are also downsides. While two thirds of the companies on the Baltic Sea coast and in Fischland-Darß-Zingst consider their situation to be safe, growing uncertainties are becoming noticeable in Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Western Pomerania. A third of companies fear falling into the red, which is exacerbated by rising costs for personnel, food and energy. Sales in the hospitality industry fell by almost 5 percent compared to the previous year, and the industry recorded the most business closures this year.

Another big issue in the region is the high prices. Campsites in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania cost an average of 43 euros per night - this is the highest price in the country. Room prices in the new federal states have also increased by more than a quarter since 2019, with an average of 140 euros per night. Restaurant prices, such as those for a Margherita pizza, rose by almost 13 percent to 11.11 euros. Dehoga boss Lars Schwarz is calm about the criticism of high prices and points out the seasonal pricing.

Tourism in an international context

Anyone who wants to take a look outside the box will also recognize that international tourism grew remarkably up until the Corona pandemic. Loud Statista There were around 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals in the record year 2019, while 1.4 million trips were recorded in 2024. Europe remains the region with the most international tourist arrivals - around 50 percent of global arrivals came to the continent. Germany plays an important role with around 54 million trips, especially near the popular Baltic Sea region.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania remains a popular destination - this is shown by the increasing number of arrivals and the positive feedback from hoteliers and restaurants. It remains exciting to see how the region's tourism landscape will develop in the future, especially in times of rising prices and growing operating costs.