Tourism is booming. Despite the "Trumpets".

Dear Insider,

Forecasts and bare facts, that's how every year begins. But one thing is already changing from my perspective: The future of the industry is increasingly dependent on strategies and decisions over which hoteliers and investors have little or no influence. Taking the Netherlands and Great Britain as examples, we see today how the state is attempting to fill its empty coffers at the expense of tourism and the hotel industry. The Dutch government plans to increase VAT on overnight stays from 9% to 21% in 2026. The hoteliers will lose guests, employees and even investors, while the OTAs will gain. The UK government, on the other hand, will exert even more pressure: Britain is set to increase national insurance contributions from employers by 75%. This will hit part-time employees especially hard. Just two examples from a dangerous game with fire in two countries. Read it yourself!

For political decisions, entrepreneurs often have to take long-term risks. When things get tight, there is a risk of insolvency. Experts predict that insolvencies will increase drastically in Germany in 2025, particularly in the hospitality industry, but now also among the supposedly stable hotel groups. Insolvency under the debtor-in-possession rules may well be the last resort. What strategies will insolvency administrators use and how do they approach their job? To what extent do they take responsibility, for whom and what? We spoke to the Hanover-based law firm Anchor about this - chosen because it does not have any hospitality clients and is therefore unbiased in its response.