Tourism figures 2021: Münsterland came through the summer well

Compared to the figures from 2019 - i.e. before the Corona pandemic - the Münsterland performs very well in terms of overnight stays in 2021 for the summer and holiday months of July and August compared to other regions. From June up to and including September, our region recorded 1,364,405 overnight stays in hotels and holiday flats with ten beds or more, despite the pandemic, as the latest data from Information und Technik Nordrhein-Westfalen (IT.NRW) show.

While coastal destinations on the Baltic Sea in particular even recorded increases in overnight stays from June to September compared to 2019, the same balance in Münsterland was negative at minus 11.3 per cent. In a national and state comparison, however, this is little: in August 2021, for example, Münsterland was the only NRW destination to register an increase in overnight stays compared to August 2019, and a very significant one at 6.7 per cent. This also improved the occupancy rate in the establishments.

Michael Kösters, general representative and tourism expert at Münsterland e.V.: "If you only look at the NRW summer holiday months of July and August, the strength of the Münsterland is also confirmed here: The number of overnight stays in our region was almost back to the pre-pandemic level (2019) with a slight minus of 2.4 per cent, while the state average showed a minus of 22.1 per cent."

"We have still come through the crisis comparatively 'well' this summer purely by the numbers. The trend towards holidays at home has had a very positive effect on Münsterland," says Kösters. "If we also had figures for private establishments with less than ten beds, which unfortunately are not recorded in the official statistics, the growth would probably be much higher. This is also confirmed by the dwif Corona Compass, which records and evaluates tourism figures throughout Germany. The official figures for the summer months from IT.NRW also correspond with the significant increase in demand at the tourist information offices in Münsterland and at our own Tourism Centre. At the same time, however, the businesses continue to struggle with the Corona requirements, often lower capacity and, above all, an aggravated shortage of skilled and service staff."

Especially against the current background of the very dynamic Corona development, there is moreover no all-clear, on the contrary, says Kösters. "Like all of us, the industry is naturally observing the current development with great concern. From the industry's point of view, a further lockdown must be prevented at all costs with suitable measures. The companies here are open to restrictions, for example for the unvaccinated, what is important is clarity and a lasting perspective."