Autumn holiday balance: Despite the storm – Schleswig-Holstein remains strong!

Autumn holiday balance: Despite the storm – Schleswig-Holstein remains strong!

The autumn holidays in Schleswig-Holstein are over, and the results are mixed. Despite the windy weather and rain, people on the coast are pleased with the stable occupancy of accommodation, which is at the same level as last year. How NDR reports, a survey shows that the holiday destinations are overall satisfied, although the stormy weather kept many day visitors away. On the island of Föhr, storm-related changes in ferry traffic caused a noticeable decline in day visitors, while Amrum was able to boast a solid number of visitors in the second half of October. Here, however, the weather forecasts deterred many spontaneous bookers.

In Heiligenhafen, occupancy remained constant, especially on weekends, and Lübeck also reported a stable occupancy of around 70 percent. Particularly noteworthy is Travemünde, where occupancy rose to around 83 percent. But the stormy days also had an impact here: fewer visitors to the tourist information centers and a decline in day visitors to the region. In Grömitz there was a slight decrease in occupancy to around 70 percent, which nevertheless encouraged many spontaneous bookings in September.

Strong interest despite adverse circumstances

The quality of the accommodation is crucial. Accommodations with a swimming pool, sauna or fireplace were particularly in demand this year. The swimming pools in the region enjoyed consistently good attendance - for example, the Grömitzer Welle and Holstentherme in Kaltenkirchen recorded almost 25 percent more guests. However, animal and wildlife parks, such as the Arche Warder Zoo, fell short of expectations with 4,000 fewer visitors.

Despite the weather-related difficulties in autumn, there is also positive news from the tourism industry. Bettina Bunge, head of the Schleswig-Holstein tourism agency, expects business to be stable at a high level in 2025. Loud shz The booking inquiries for the summer months of June, July and August show a similarly positive situation as in the previous year.

Outlook for the coming years

A look at the numbers: In 2024, around 38.09 million overnight stays were counted in Schleswig-Holstein, the best result in history with a minimal increase of 600,000 overnight stays compared to the previous year. The Baltic Sea tends to be one of the favorites with 50 percent of overnight stays. Also refers schleswig-holstein.de in its statistics that overall bed occupancy is 38 percent. Holiday apartments account for a large part of this at 38 percent, while hotels have an occupancy rate of around 20 percent.

Still, challenges need to be addressed. International tourism remains comparatively weak, reflecting the lack of proximity to international airports and low connectivity. Tourism Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen speaks of a decline in overnight stays from Denmark and other countries and emphasizes the need for more marketing to interest foreign guests in the region.

Despite the difficulties, the holiday resorts in Schleswig-Holstein will do everything in their power to consolidate their reputation as a popular travel destination. But a good overview of pricing and guest needs will be crucial in order to continue to exist in the travel market in the future.