Hospitality industry groups urge swift, less bureaucratic support for businesses in need
Unbureaucratic Aid for Hospitality Industry: NGG and Dehoga Demand Swift Action
The hospitality industry in Germany is bracing for another lockdown, and major associations like Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten (NGG) and the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga) are demanding unbureaucratic emergency aid.
"For many businesses in the hospitality industry, the new lockdown without swift and substantial aid is akin to a death blow," said NGG chief Guido Zeitler to the "Rheinische Post" (online edition). The last lockdown demonstrated that many coronavirus aid packages were left untouched due to bureaucratic barriers. Zeitler warns, "It must not happen again that aid cannot be obtained without a tax advisor and experts who are booked up for months."
The lockdown spells disaster for employees in the sector, resulting in significant wage losses once more. "They too must benefit from the new corona package," Zeitler insists. Meanwhile, Dehoga's chief executive Ingrid Hartges expresses approval of the promised extraordinary economic aid, which aims to compensate companies for financial losses in November. However, Hartges asserts, "The aid must be made available quickly and unbureaucratically to all companies in the gastronomy, hotel, and catering industries."
The closure of gastronomic businesses from 2nd November for four weeks is disheartening for both employees and entrepreneurs, according to Hartges. Similarly, the ban on all tourist overnight stays is equally demoralizing since overnight accommodations can only be provided for "necessary purposes." This, in essence, amounts to a shutdown. "Many businesses are up against the wall, desperation is growing," said the Dehoga chief executive to the "Rheinische Post."
In the past, the government has worked toward rapid and simplified emergency aid for the hospitality sector during lockdowns by:
- Providing fixed compensation amounts based on past revenue.
- Implementing digital application processes to speed up disbursement.
- Coordinating with state-level agencies to eliminate administrative hurdles.
- Engaging in dialogue with associations like NGG and Dehoga to tailor support measures.
Despite these efforts, current information might not address specifics for the November 2024 lockdown. To stay informed, it would be advisable to seek direct statements or official press releases from German federal or state governments and associations like NGG or Dehoga.
- "Other businesses in the hospitality sector, like finance-dependent ones, must also receive swift and unbureaucratic aid, similar to what NGG and Dehoga are demanding, to prevent imminent collapse due to the lockdown," said Zeitler to the "Rheinische Post".
- "Swift action must be taken to make unbureaucratic emergency aid available to all companies in the gastronomy, hotel, and catering industries, including those that rely on finance for their operations," Hartges asserted to the "Rheinische Post".
