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ARCHIVED - Germany may offer pensioners 500 euros to spend the winter in Spain
The proposal is being suggested as a way to reduce dependence on Russian gas in the cold German winter
The president of the Association of Independent Travel Agencies in Germany has put forward a proposition for Germans to save energy and help to reduce the country’s reliance on Russian gas by recommending that pensioners spend the winter in much warmer climes, such as in Spain.
Marina Linnhoff, the association’s president, told the Rheinische Post: “Travelling against Putin is better than freezing because of Putin.”
And, to this end, she proposes that the German government offer every pensioner 500 euros to help them spend the coldest months away from Germany, and instead be in the Canary Islands or other warm places in Spain.
“The idea of spending the winter in warmer climates should be taken seriously, mainly because it is a way of saving energy that can be used in industry,” Linnhoff insisted.
The response from German politicians has been very mixed. On the one hand, some are considering making the proposal a reality, while others have rejected it outright.
In the latter group is the chairwoman of the Bundestag’s tourism committee, Jana Schimke, who has warned of the high cost of the measure. She says it would cost around 10 billion euros, a figure that would not compensate for the cost of gas consumption.
Spain welcomes German tourists
In Spain, however, the proposal has been warmly welcomed. According to Doris Borrego, president of the Canary Islands Holiday Rental Association, bookings for periods of one to three months increased by 20% as soon as Linnhoff’s proposal was made public.
“The German market is the second most important market for the Canary Islands and one of the most loyal. Bookings for next winter have already increased considerably. There are even confirmed bookings for winter 2024/2025,” said Ms Borrego.
In Mallorca, one of the favourite destinations for Germans, they are keeping their fingers crossed that the measure will go ahead.
Maria Gibert, manager of tourist rental association Habtur Balears, said, “We have received the news very well. Right now, we have a very promising summer ahead of us, house bookings are at a very high level, over 85% occupancy. The problem is that, in winter, bookings are very low, the figure drops to 20%.”
The president of the Murcia employers’ association HoyTú, Jesús Jiménez, is hopeful that the southeastern province of Spain can be one of the German pensioners’ chosen destination, but stated that “it is complicated to compete with Mallorca, because it is [Germans’] preferred destination”.
However, he pointed out that Murcia has “an advantage: the average temperature and the days of sunshine, which make it more similar to the Canary Islands.”
For the moment, the German government has not yet made a statement on the issue. But given the fear of no longer receiving gas from Russia, the government is working on an emergency plan to reduce consumption in industry and households, and further news on the plan will be presented in the coming weeks and months.
Image: Archive
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