Brexit or Covid, which is worse?

Augsburg (January 15, 2021). The six months between our last podcast and today show how much the virus also hunts journalists. At the end of May 2020, Great Britain was "only" worried about the virus, in January it is Covid-19 and the last-minute Brexit exit. That's why a large part of the speaking time in the 3rd United Hotel Media Podcast today belongs to the editor-in-chief of Hotel Analyst in London, Andrew Sangster. He predicts the mega travel boom in late spring.

Editorial: Figures on the misery

Dear Insiders,

The reckoning with politics in the article by Alexander Fitz of H-Hotels last Friday was followed by many comments, also on LinkedIn. Nonetheless, there are still people who discredit hoteliers as cry-babies. Today, we will provide these people with a few facts – not from a hotel operator, but from hotel investor Dr. Joerg Haas from Bonn, who himself owns 5 hotels, 12 catering businesses, 2 conference centres and 5 fitness studios. His group is also suffering massively. Therefore, he decided to disclose every single failed measure using his own company’s figures.

His disastrous experience with the financial aids is symbolic of all major groups and companies. It is a disaster that could well be used as a blueprint for a Netflix show … After all, this disaster turns 2020 from a 5-million-euro profit into a 16-million-euro loss for Haas' Invite Group.

We will publish this article in front of the paywall today, as we want these figures to be etched on the memories of incompetent politicians. Please distribute this article across all your channels, particularly to the representative in your constituency who will soon cross your path and encounter your unemployed former staff members on the street.

In our article on the lockdown extensions in Germany and Austria, we will take another look at the financial aids that will once again fail to save any larger group or company. Small, debt-free family hotels will likely survive thanks to corona aids while the internationally competitive, high-quality, creative and professional city hotel sector is dangling over the precipice. After all, medium-sized and large chains are still those who accommodate the majority of corporate travellers and MICE visitors!

Central Europe should watch out: Other countries are already overtaking the region. In Dubai, Emirates Airlines has already vaccinated the crews this week; two hotel groups have also already vaccinated their employees and family members. They are getting their vaccinations done in record-time – because they want to enable travel again. They go for BUSINESS!

And what about big Germany? Complains and keeps on babbling. Economically, Central Europe will fall massively behind, even in comparison to smaller but more decisive and purposefully acting countries. Competition is now being decided via vaccination strategies.

Today, Richard Adam, who is known as a very critical tourism expert to our readers, is holding up the mirror to the cumbersome and sated destination managers: "Shutdown of the old marketing" simply is a must-read.

Concerning Kempinski Hotels, I cannot give you much news five weeks after the dismissal of the CEO: The lawyers are currently preoccupied with the era of Martin Smura. It remains exciting.

With these reports and other colourful news about the market, we say goodbye until next week, the last one in January. At the end of January in 2020, the first Covid-19 cases emerged in Italy.

Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief

Your opinion? maria[at]hospitalityInside.com