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The summers of 2020 and 2021 will likely always be known as the “Corona Summers”. Rules and restrictions characterised them, uncertainties, travel bans and cancellations. This situation threatened the existence of all those involved in tourism worldwide. Relaxed regulations and vaccinated individuals finally created a more positive mood at the beginning of the last season. The travel industry looked forward to the coming summer with cautious optimism at the beginning of 2022.

Summer 2022 – A Brief Industry Summary

The hope seems to have been fulfilled. The number of overnight stays in Germany is now slightly below 2019. The Federal Statistical Office reported around 49 million overnight stays for June alone. In the entire first half of the year, there were more than twice as many as in the year before. The number of international trips also increased again.

But even though it seems that way, Corona is far from history. Uncertainties due to different measures and rules and concerns about cancellations still prevailed in the summer of 2022. In the Foundation for Future Studies tourism analysis, almost 90% of the respondents said that Corona influenced their travel decisions. Many booked at shorter notice and placed much more emphasis on cancellation options and flexibility.

On holiday, however, guests have become more carefree, relaxed and also more appreciative, the hoteliers of the Green Pearls® partners report unanimously, especially when it comes to the beauty of nature and the added value of sustainable vacation opportunities.

The experience of how much nature in many places on this earth has breathed a sigh of relief and recovered due to the lack of tourists has certainly contributed to the fact that many people now want to travel more consciously and mindfully. The Green Pearls® partners, who have been pursuing sustainable and environmentally friendly strategies for many years, are pleased about the increasing popularity and the new appreciation of both new and returning guests.

The Summer After – The Green Pearls® Partners Reflect

Relaxed Guests and Relaxed Measures

“The guests appreciated the break even more,” is the conclusion of the team of the SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA in Bad Herrenalb. As a recognised climatic health resort, the northern Black Forest location is ideal for taking a deep breath, whether after overcoming a lung disease or in a figurative sense.

For a peaceful coexistence, the sustainable wellness and health hotel has relied on simple measures such as voluntary mask-wearing, distance requirements and disinfection dispensers and also offered corona tests in the hotel. Many guests were unsure about the regulations and asked questions. But light-heartedness and gratitude prevailed.

The focus was also on relaxation and a carefree atmosphere at the Baltic Sea. Arriving and unwinding – that’s what most of the guests longed for, reports Marion Muller from the Lifestylehotel SAND on the beach in Timmendorfer Strand. To this end, the hotel communicated its adapted hygiene concept in advance and tried to remove the uncertainty for the guests. Distance and rules were a natural part of the 2022 summer. But Corona was far from being the centre of attention anymore. Instead, the team and guests worked together to make the “SANDige Auszeit” (SANDy Time Out) relaxing and enjoyable for everyone. The guests generally dealt with the topic in very different ways, but the SAND team concluded that all of them had been “simply wonderful”.

The experiences of the Naturhotel Outside in Matrei in East Tyrol show that the guests’ behaviour towards and among each other has also changed. The season was characterised by very respectful interaction. The personal responsibility that the team around hotelier Daniel Ganzer relied on was well implemented. At the same time, however, it was noticeable how the guests had a renewed desire for and enjoyment of company after it had been rather shunned in recent years, says Ganzer. Whether in the restaurant, in the relaxation rooms or in the hotel’s sizeable natural garden, happy and relaxed faces could be seen everywhere.

Carefree Holidays – Almost like the Old Days

Corona? The guests at the Hotel Bella Vista in the Swiss town of Zermatt seemed to have almost forgotten all about it. Of course, the disinfectant dispensers are still part of the basic facilities. But it was nice to be closer to the guests again, without the insecurities and fear, describes hotel manager Fabienne Anthamatten.

Corona was no longer a big issue in the Allgäu Hotel Das Rübezahl either. There were a few anxious guests, but most enjoyed their holidays without worries or concerns. The team also noted that there were more international tourists again in the famous region around Füssen, who visited Neuschwanstein Castle opposite the hotel and the other royal castles in the area. Tourism was already very similar to pre-Corona times.

On Korcula, at the Eco Aparthotel The Dreamer’s Club, the summer was reminiscent of the time before the pandemic. The guests were relaxed and hardly spent any energy worrying about Corona, Tanja Duračković says. To support this, the Dreamer’s Club follows the appropriate rules, provides disinfectants and thoroughly disinfects surfaces and rooms. This allowed the guests to enjoy the summer on the Croatian coast without fear.

Vacations on the Doorstep are More Appreciated

Even though international travel has increased again, Marco Arnold, owner of the LENI MOUNTAIN Apartments & Chalet, notes a clear trend towards “holidays on your own doorstep”. Many guests have turned their backs on the sweltering cities and destinations in the south and prefer the cool nights and fresh mountain air far above sea level. The pandemic was no longer an issue for summer guests at LENI MOUNTAIN. The holiday apartments and the luxurious chalet in Sölden also offer sufficient privacy and the opportunity for more anxious guests to keep their distance while enjoying amenities such as an in-house café or the bakery service.

At the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio in the Allgäu, the trend of increasingly taking holidays at home or nearby is also confirmed. Many guests have returned to Balderschwang, even though travelling abroad is becoming more accessible, says Marc Traubel. The hotel’s hygiene concept has been retained, but masks are no longer compulsory. Of course, guests and staff may wear them if they feel safer. In the summer of 2022, the HUBERTUS team noticed that the younger generations appreciated the sustainable wellness hotel and its HolisticLife concept. Awareness of mindfulness and self-care had increased significantly among the guests during the Corona pandemic, the team reports. Especially the modern and generously designed Mountain Spring Spa and the Ayurveda and Yoga offers were well received by the guests.

The rethinking of the Corona pandemic confirms the sustainable path the Green Pearls® partners have followed for years. Finding a balance between economic use and nature protection through long-term and future-oriented planning is good for the environment, cultural preservation and the people in the region and the right way to deal with crises. The consistently positive booking figures and the increasing demand prove the hoteliers right during this (almost) typical summer.