From the Ore Mountains to Leipzig: After the difficult Corona years, more people want to go on holiday in Saxony again during the Christmas season. Some destinations are almost fully booked.
Dresden/Annaberg-Buchholz (dpa/sn) - According to the tourism industry, Saxony again attracts many visitors during the Advent and Christmas season. Feedback on the Christmas business was cautiously optimistic, said the President of the State Tourism Association (LTV), Jörg Markert. The recent winter weather has also led to more bookings from winter sports enthusiasts who have decided to do so at short notice. "In the winter sports centers there is a good booking situation until January."
For the cities, December means an increase in retail sales. "Here, day tourists from the eastern German catchment area as well as from the Czech Republic and Poland are expected. And the Christmas markets convey a normality that has not existed in the last two years," said the association president.
The Ore Mountains are very well booked as a travel destination at the turn of the year, said Claudia Brödner from the Ore Mountains Tourist Association in Annaberg-Buchholz. There are only a few capacities left in the area of holiday apartments or rooms. In the winter months, especially in January, the winter sports resorts are particularly in demand. "There is a tendency to see long-term bookings again." Outside of the winter sports centers of Oberwiesenthal and Altenberg, there is still capacity in all segments. "For larger families and groups, the choice is already very limited."
In general, the Advent and Christmas seasons are one of the most important travel times for the Ore Mountains. "It is economically essential for hosts, and it is particularly important that it can be celebrated again as usual," emphasized Brödner. According to the state tourism association, the booking situation on the holidays is also developing positively in other Saxon regions. In Leipzig, the overnight business is also going very well. Due to a lack of staff, however, very short-term requests, especially for large groups, could not be served, according to LTV spokeswoman Andrea Kis.
In the Vogtland, the winter sports resorts are particularly in demand. And in the Dresden Elbland, the Advent business went well. However, guests would book here at very short notice, which makes forecasts difficult. December is not only one of the three strongest months in Dresden in terms of tourism, but it is also the month with the highest sales for retail, said Kis.
Demand in Saxon Switzerland is only slowly recovering. The time of the forest fire caused significant losses. The tourism industry there only felt a slight recovery from October. Kis: "Basically, however, there is optimism that guests will come again in winter."
