Bayreuth before the tourism boom: New tax causes debate!

Bayreuth before the tourism boom: New tax causes debate!

In Bayreuth the signs point to tourism, as the festival season is approaching and the city is expecting a real rush on the hotels. This year, those responsible at Bayreuth Marketing and Tourismus GmbH (BMTG) can look back on an impressive balance: with 527,536 overnight stays in 2024, the third record in a row was recorded, which corresponds to an increase of 2.9% compared to the previous year. This trend is promising, especially as the figures show over 80,000 more overnight stays than in the pre-Corona year of 2019, representing almost 20% growth.

As bayreuther-tagblatt.de reports, some CSU city councilors are planning to introduce a new tourism tax. Foreign hotel guests could therefore pay a surcharge on the overnight price in order to invest the income in promoting Bayreuth's tourism. The BMTG sees nothing disadvantageous about this; On the contrary, she hopes for additional funds for the infrastructure and the application of Bayreuth. Two models are being discussed: a bed tax and a tourism contribution, the latter of which is intended to be used specifically in the tourism sector.

Hurdles in implementation

However, a look at the legal hurdles reveals that implementation could be complicated. The bed tax, which is intended as a local expenditure tax, is encountering legal problems because the municipal tax law has prohibited its collection since March 2023. Cities like Munich, Bamberg and Günzburg are suing against this ban. Bayreuth's city administration plans to wait for developments before putting the issue back on the agenda.

Given the positive development in tourism, Manuel Becher, Managing Director of BMTG, is also pleased with the results. Over 86% of guests in 2024 came from Germany, but international visitors from countries such as Poland, Austria and Switzerland also enrich the Bavarian overnight accommodation market. Targeted marketing in Germany as well as in neighboring European countries and the USA has proven to be extremely effective, thanks to contemporary online and social media strategies that were initiated together with various partners.

Future prospects

In order to further increase tourist attractiveness, sustainable infrastructure must be created and maintained. The discussion about the tourism tax shows that there is cross-party support for improving the tourism environment. The cooperation with the German National Tourist Board and Nuremberg Airport is also a sign of the effort to make Bayreuth even more attractive in the future.

The current figures speak for themselves: the city has recorded an increase of almost 60% in overnight stays compared to the last five years. A trend that is important for both the local economy and visitors. If Bayreuth manages to overcome the legal hurdles and strengthen its tourism infrastructure, the city could welcome even more tourists in the coming years while spreading its cultural wealth further.

The optimism in the city is clearly noticeable. According to bayreuth-tourismus.de, the BMTG's marketing measures, supplemented by close cooperation with regional partners, are the key to this positive development. All of this suggests that the 2025 Bayreuth Festival promises another year of record tourism.

Preparations are in full swing and the anticipation for the upcoming festival season is clearly visible!