Berlin, March 21, (dpa/GNA) – Germany is struggling to contain a sharply rising number of coronavirus infections, but a majority of Germans surveyed are in favour of opening hotels and restaurants over April’s Easter holidays.
In a survey conducted by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of dpa, 52 per cent wanted hotels and other lodgings to be allowed to open as long as hygiene and social distancing rules are in place. Some 14 per cent are in favour of openings without any restrictions at all.
Only 25 percent of respondents think hotels should remain closed during the Easter holidays, when many people go on vacation in Germany. Nine per cent offered no opinion.
In the case of restaurants, beer gardens, pubs and cafes, as many as two-thirds of respondents are in favour of opening up.
Thirty-two per cent say customers should be restricted to outdoor areas with hygiene measures in place, while 34 per cent are in favour of indoor service, too, as long as precautions are taken.
Eleven per cent want to allow restaurateurs to open without any conditions. Only 16 per cent say restaurants and pubs should remain totally closed.
The hospitality industry was largely left out of the re-opening strategy adopted by the federal and state governments at the beginning of March. The hard-hit industry says it feels abandoned and has been pressing politicians to offer a roadmap forward.
YouGov’s survey of 2,059 was conducted online between March 16 and 18. The results were weighted to be representative of the population aged 18 and over.
