Cooperation Kicks Off Between German Ski Lifts & Bavarian Restaurants Associations

The Bavarian Hotel and Restaurant Association DEHOGA Bavaria and the Association of German Cable Cars and Drag Lifts (VDS) have set themselves the goal of jointly strengthening tourism in Bavaria in the long term and striving for common goals. In order to achieve this, both associations will work together consistently in the pursuit of their industry-political demands, according to the result of a joint meeting of the VDS board and the DEHOGA Bavaria presidium at Spitzingsee.

DEHOGA Bavaria President Angela Inselkammer: “The hospitality industry as the main service provider of tourism and the cable cars have a lot in common, the intersections are very close. In addition to the importance of cable cars as an important attraction factor in a tourist region, many cable car companies are also characterized by the fact that they run their own restaurants. We can only be successful hand in hand, so it is a matter of course that we should intensify our cooperation with immediate effect.”

VDS CEO Matthias Stauch: “The past two years in particular, in which the tourism industry in particular had to struggle with completely new and sometimes unforeseeable challenges due to the pandemic, have shown us how important alliances and alliances are. We tourism service providers had and are struggling with very similar problems. Mutual exchange and, if necessary, solidarity is extremely valuable here. When we join forces, we can achieve more.”

Inselkammer and Stauch agree: "In addition to strengthening Bavaria as the number 1 tourism region, we also face common challenges." Efforts are now being made to recruit and retain employees. In this context, DEHOGA Bayern and VDS are in favor of making the Working Hours Act more flexible. Stauch: “We have to create more attractiveness for employees, among other things through flexible working time models. The work must then be able to be done when it arises.” In addition, the permanent extension of the VAT reduction on food, including drinks, is essential for the preservation of the Bavarian hospitality industry, “an intact hospitality industry is the basic requirement for tourism,” said Inselkammer.

DEHOGA Bayern and VDS want to work together on the topic of sustainability. Inselkammer: “The hospitality industry thrives on an intact environment to a very special degree. Nature is our greatest asset. It creates space for Bavaria's incomparable atmosphere. In addition, our companies are important socio-cultural instances at their locations, and at the same time they are the regional economic factor in many rural areas to preserve them. For us, sustainability not only has an ecological aspect, but also a social and economic one: 1 job at the cable car creates and secures 5 jobs in the region.”