The regional Mullerthal tourism office drew attention to these numbers in a recent report that revolved around the question of where the region was heading to in terms of overnight accommodation offers.
According to the report, "something needs to be done in Mullerthal" - under the current state of affairs, accommodation capacities are expected to dwindle by 22% by 2033. Almost of quarter of related jobs would be lost due to this decrease.
A generation change in the management of the tourist accommodations is on the horizon. 70% of the local accommodations need to sort out a takeover within the next 5 years, the report reads. The tourism office is therefore ringing the alarm bells: these succession uncertainties could mean that even more hotels, camping sites or holiday homes stop their activities.
As Sandra Betholet from the Mullerthal tourism office explains, the threat to the tourism industry is significant. Owners may be tempted to convert their temporary holiday homes into permanent accommodations as the housing market is becoming increasingly lucrative in Luxembourg. At the same time, she shows herself optimistic and believes that some of the local businesses could be revitalised and expanded once the younger generation breathes new life into the industry.
Even though the succession of businesses in the tourist industry can be a tricky and time-consuming enterprise, the report also shows that 20% of tourist accommodations (7 hotels, 6 camping sites and 5 holiday homes) found a successor in the last three years.
