Harz summer 2025: Weather chaos is massively slowing down tourism!

Harz summer 2025: Weather chaos is massively slowing down tourism!

The Harz, a popular destination for holidaymakers from all over Germany, is feeling the effects of bad weather this year. Loud news38.de tourist numbers are declining sharply. While the region is usually well booked in high season, current booking figures show that many hotels and restaurants are suffering from subdued bookings. Rene Maksimcev, hotelier from Güntersberge and vice president of Dehoga Saxony-Anhalt, reports that short-term bookings in particular are seeing an increase, while long-term stays of more than five to seven nights have become rare. A look at the booking statistics shows that weather-related cancellations have increased compared to the previous year, which is putting additional pressure on the affected companies.

What is particularly noticeable is that there are currently numerous free rooms in places that are normally fully booked in the high season. One reason for this is the declining purchasing power of guests, so that many holidaymakers are increasingly resorting to short-term bookings. The trend towards booking via online portals that offer flexible cancellations is increasing. This is a challenge for the industry, which is already struggling with rising costs and a shortage of skilled workers. Despite all this adversity, Maksimcev remains optimistic. He doesn't see the weather as the biggest problem and emphasizes the attractiveness of the Harz for active holidaymakers.

Decrease in overnight stays

The Harz region recorded a decline in the number of overnight stays in 2024 compared to the previous year. According to the Harz Tourism Association, there were around 8 million overnight stays, which corresponds to a decrease of around 1.3%. The association's managing director, Carola Schmidt, sees the weather as a main reason for this decline, but is overall satisfied with the numbers. Even though more than 3,000 beds have disappeared in the region in the last five years, she emphasizes that tourism in the Harz has demonstrated crisis resilience, reports radiosaw.de.

Andreas Meling, managing director of Wernigerode Tourismus GmbH, makes an interesting observation. He points out that the decline in the number of beds is primarily related to the recording of statistics, as only companies with 11 beds or more are taken into account. Smaller hotels, guesthouses and holiday accommodation that are not included in the statistics are still growing and contributing to the number of guests.

Economic framework data

In order to better understand the situation in the Harz, it is worth taking a look at the German tourism sector as a whole. This contributes almost nine percent to the gross domestic product statista.com reported. In 2023, international travelers generated revenue of $37.4 billion, while Germans themselves spent around $112 billion on vacation travel. Despite the challenges that the market presents, such as record sales for tour operators and employment levels in the hospitality industry that were only rehabilitated in 2020 and 2021, the popularity of the Harz region remains unbroken. Bavaria tops the list of the most popular federal states for vacationers, followed by North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg.

The situation in the Harz may be challenging, but hope for a positive turnaround remains among both hoteliers and guests. With its distinctive nature and diverse activity options, the Harz is an attractive travel destination - especially for those who are looking for peace and relaxation in the middle of nature.