Study: Successful water tourism in Berlin-Brandenburg held back by labor shortage and bureaucracy

While the coronavirus pandemic has caused existential hardship for many sectors of the economy, water tourism in Berlin and Brandenburg has experienced an enormous growth spurt. Ten years after the first survey, the industry continues to be a significant economic factor in the region with around 6,100 direct employees. For the initiators of the new study "Economic effects in water tourism in Berlin and Brandenburg" - the Chambers of Industry and Commerce in Berlin-Brandenburg, the Water Tourism Initiative North Brandenburg (WIN), ADAC Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V. (Berlin-Brandenburg and Munich), Bundesverband Wassersportwirtschaft e.V. as well as the Wirtschaftsverband Wassersport e.V. and the BOOT & FUN trade fair - the results mean that the water tourism players contribute significantly to the attractiveness of the region. The core message is that the focus in the coming years must be placed even more strongly than before on sustainable, qualitative growth. Politicians are therefore called upon to secure and expand the continuous navigability of the waters used for tourism by investing in infrastructure measures.

How has the market developed or changed since the previous study in 2014? How is the market expected to develop by 2030? What are the economic effects of commercial boat tourism? What are the future challenges for the industry? What conclusions and strategic directions can be drawn for the future direction and development of water tourism in Brandenburg and Berlin? More than 800 companies in Berlin and Brandenburg were surveyed for this study in December 2023 and January 2024. The results make it clear that the industry will focus even more strongly on sustainable and qualitative growth in the future. There is a high willingness to increase the use of e-mobility. Market demand has continued to rise in all four segments - boat charter, canoe rental, passenger shipping and marinas - since 2014. Annual gross turnover has increased from 200 million euros in 2014 to a good 300 million euros in 2024. However, the marked lack of berths, a massive labor shortage and a heavy bureaucratic burden are increasingly paralyzing the entire industry.

Dr. Christian Herzog, Managing Director of the Potsdam Chamber of Industry and Commerce for the State Working Group of Chambers of Industry and Commerce
of the State of Brandenburg: 
"The study highlights the growing importance of water tourism in Brandenburg. In order to secure Brandenburg as a leading destination for water tourism in the long term, key challenges must be tackled - in particular the shortage of moorings. We are experiencing a significant increase in demand for safe and well-developed moorings for boats, particularly in areas that are heavily frequented by tourists. This shortage can not only affect the comfort of guests, but also slow down the growth potential of boating tourism in our region. It is crucial that we develop solutions together with the municipalities and relevant stakeholders to both expand the infrastructure and ensure the sustainable use of existing resources. The environmentally and socially responsible creation of filling stations, charging stations, fresh water and waste water facilities as well as good internet access everywhere - all of this is part of the equation today."

.Manja Schreiner, Managing Director of IHK Berlin: 
"Water tourism is an important economic factor for the entire metropolitan region. In the last ten years, the number of providers in the charter segment has doubled, and in Berlin it has almost tripled. But the challenges have also grown. There is a shortage of skilled workers, costs are rising in a weakening economy and, last but not least, long approval procedures and bureaucracy at federal, state and municipal level are a burden on providers. The federal, state and local authorities need to work better together in order to maintain value creation and secure the associated jobs. However, the situation also shows that increased demand has led to more competition for use, particularly in Berlin. Here we need joint quality initiatives to maintain the acceptance of water tourism. The water tourism concept now adopted by the Senate is therefore an important milestone in improving cooperation on the water.

Karsten Stahlhut, Managing Director of the German Water Sports Industry Association (BVWW): 
"The results of the study provide a sound data basis that impressively demonstrates the economic importance of water tourism for Berlin and Brandenburg. They show that the industry is not only growing steadily, but is also making a significant contribution to regional value creation. However, ensuring a modern, efficient infrastructure and reducing bureaucratic obstacles remain of central importance for sustainable further development. We appeal to politicians to swiftly implement the master plan for leisure boating and set up a dedicated budget for leisure boating in order to actively secure and further expand the future of this key industry."

Dr. Steffen Häbich, Head of Special Interest in the Tourism Department, ADAC e.V.: 
"The new study impressively shows the great economic importance of water tourism in Berlin and Brandenburg. We need these figures for the whole of Germany. It has been ten years since the last nationwide study was published. As it can be assumed that water tourism has grown throughout Germany during this time, an update of the national study would be desirable as an important basis for decision-making in politics and administration. The regional study presented today shows that the industry is ready for the mobility turnaround on the water and thus for the future. This must now lead to concrete measures that are closely linked to the roadmap for the redevelopment of the federal waterways for tourism, e.g. in the form of the Federal Ministry of Transport's Action Plan East and the implementation of the Master Plan for Recreational Boating."

District Councillor Daniel Kurth, Managing Chairman of the Water Tourism Initiative Nordbrandenburg (WIN): 
"Water tourism in Brandenburg and Berlin is at a high level in terms of both supply and demand. In order to maintain this level, it is essential to tackle the urgent need to renovate the infrastructure, especially the locks. In this respect, we are relying on the Federal Ministry of Transport to ensure that the federal waterways used by tourists are permanently navigable and that the interests of leisure boating are taken into account in the ministry in line with the economic strength of the industry."

Daniel Barkowski, 1st Chairman of Wirtschaftsverband Wassersport e.V. and project manager of BOOT & FUN: 
"The results of the newly published study confirm what we have been observing in the Berlin-Brandenburg region - as an association as well as with our boat and leisure trade fair BOOT & FUN - for years: Water tourism is a key economic factor and an enormous growth driver - far beyond the regional borders. In the middle of Europe's largest contiguous inland water area, there is enormous potential that needs to be exploited sustainably with the right infrastructure, such as modern locks, attractive water resting and mooring areas and the expansion of charging points for e-mobility on the water. Only in this way can the Berlin-Brandenburg region remain attractive for water tourism and water sports in the future and in the long term - for guests from all over Germany and Europe, and above all for the local companies."