The Berlin Senate has presented its €290m ReStart Berlin programme, containing a range of actions designed to help restart the city’s visitor economy, as well as its trade fair and MICE business. Measures include B2C and B2B marketing campaigns to generate visibility for Berlin as a tourist destination and as a location for trade fairs and conventions and the setting up of a ‘MICE Acquisition’ task force to actively seek out potential congresses for Berlin. A central tourism data hub is also to be created.
In all, €290m have been allocated to strengthen the business location and a further €40m for a cultural programme.
visitBerlin (Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH) welcomed the announcement.
The news comes against the background of the lifting of almost all Covid restrictions in Berlin from 1 April 2022. Participants will now be able to attend major events, such as trade fairs, without having to present any proof of testing, recovery or vaccination.
The 100-day programme is in two parts: ‘Restart Economy’ and ‘Cultural Perspective’ and is backed by the city’s mayor Franziska Giffey, economics senator Stephan Schwarz and culture senator Dr Klaus Lederer who presented the package of measures together with industry associations.
The ‘Restart Economy’ programme is aimed at the tourism and event industry, retail, the hotel and catering industry and the creative industries. It bundles more than 30 tailor-made measures that are intended to offer relief to affected companies and help boost their business. The heart of the programme is the Berlin Investment Bonus. For the first time, small and medium-sized companies, including the service and craft sectors, as well as freelancers, have access to investment grants.
Around €140m is earmarked for the restart measures, subject to the approval of the House of Representatives. A further €150m from the innovation promotion fund (IFF) can also be used by the destination. The Restart Programme was developed in close co-operation with the affected sectors and is being implemented in co-operation with visitBerlin and the Investment Bank Berlin (IBB).
The Perspektive Kultur programme is a start-up aid fund not be for securing liquidity, but should enable cultural institutions and actors to make a fresh start. The idea is for it to help win back the audience and €40m has been earmarked for this for the two budget years 2022/2023.
Mayor of Berlin Giffey said: “Our city is a magnet for people from all over the world. Berlin is already one of the most important economic, cultural and scientific locations in Europe. With the gradual return to normality and our restart programme for the Berlin economy, we want to actively stimulate and specifically support the hotel industry, gastronomy, the trade fair and congress business, retail, event management and the cultural industry for an economically strong, attractive and vibrant Berlin.”
Stephan Schwarz, senator for economics, energy and public enterprises, stated: “The corona pandemic has hit many industries to the core, which shape our city and are indispensable for its good development. After the tremendous effort of the past two years of crisis, we are now shifting into forward gear. It’s a new start from which all of Berlin will benefit.”
Christian Andresen, president of the Berlin Hotel and Restaurant Association DEHOGA added that the restart programme “sends a positive signal to the affected sectors and provides motivation for the future. Especially in times like these, it is important that politics and business pull together and work together for the interests of this city.”
The Restart Economy programme contains both sector-specific and cross-sector measures. It is generally open to all sectors and supports investments by small and medium-sized companies as well as freelancers with headquarters or permanent establishments in Berlin who have postponed operational investments due to the pandemic and at the same time want to create or maintain jobs. The Berlin Investment Bank provides detailed information on the programme and how to apply on its website.
Industry-specific measures for the events industry, trade and the creative industries are clustered thematically in the areas of marketing/acquisition, networking/data and resilience/skilled workers.
Photo: Berlin Arena ©visitBerlin Foto: Philip Koschel
