Suche
Mein Konto
Vacation on Sylt: Price shock drives tourists to cook for themselves!
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is observing falling holiday numbers on Sylt due to rising prices and changing consumer behavior.
Vacation on Sylt: Price shock drives tourists to cook for themselves!
In recent years, the image of Sylt as a luxurious holiday island has changed. More and more holidaymakers are choosing to cook for themselves and shop cheaply at discount stores instead of dining in the island's expensive restaurants. Loud Mercury Restaurateurs are reporting a significant decline in reservations. Families with children eat out much less often, often only twice a week, which sends alarming signals to the catering industry.
Accommodation prices have risen during high season and fewer and fewer holidaymakers are finding their way to the popular North Sea island. Alexander Süß, operator of the restaurant "iismeer", expresses concern about people's reduced purchasing power and notes that the number of visitors to his restaurant has fallen from 18,600 reservations last year to just 14,000 this year.
Price discussions and saving behavior
There is a heated debate on social media about the high prices. A schnitzel with fries for 25 euros causes outrage among the guests. Many readers in Focus express that the price increases are a clear reason for the changed behavior of holidaymakers. The gap between the tourism industry and guests is widening and there is little understanding of the high prices, which many see as too onerous.
The topics of inflation, tax burdens and rising costs are omnipresent in the discussions surrounding the current holiday trend. A majority of readers blame the restaurant industry for failing to pass on tax benefits to guests, while over 22 percent of comments expressed outrage at constantly rising costs of living.
Symptoms of crisis in the catering industry
The catering industry on Sylt is in a deep hole. According to Peter Douven, managing director of the Insel-Sylt Tourism Service, the overall economic situation is putting the industry under great pressure. A decline in sales of 3.8 percent in the German catering industry in 2024 and the VAT increase, which comes into force on January 1, 2024, make the situation even more dramatic. Jürgen Gosch, founder of the well-known Gosch restaurants, speaks of doubled price per kilo for crabs and shows how strongly the fishing crisis is affecting food prices.
The change in tourists' travel behavior is clearly noticeable. More and more vacationers are specifically looking for vacation rentals with kitchens so they can prepare their own meals and save money. This trend has already made waves in the industry and led to numerous closures in the catering industry.
In summary, Sylt is facing a challenge. While the island continues to present itself as a popular destination for those seeking relaxation, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the balance between price and quality. The circumstances require the catering industry to rethink things in order to attract holidaymakers back to the table in the future.