Fight for survival: Haffkruger beach chair rental company in need!

Fight for survival: Haffkruger beach chair rental company in need!

In the picturesque Haffkrug, residents and vacationers can observe a change in the beach picture. Summer is coming to an end and the beach chair renters are preparing to vomit their baskets while last guests still enjoy the last rays of sun on the beach. Marcus Bade, chairman of the regional association of beach chair rental companies, looks back on one season that could have run better.

"At the end of October," confirms Bade as he cleans up his beach sections. A look at the Timmendorfer Strand shows 60 beach chairs that are waiting to be used. The season was more mixed, and the weather conditions were often unfavorable for the landlords. "May and June were strongly mixed," he explains. Also in the high season there was no stable weather, which held many visitors from seeing the coast.

Construction sites make business difficult

In addition to the weather caps, construction work on the pier in Timmendorfer Strand, Scharbeutz and Haffkrug affected the business of the beach chair rental companies. While bathing describes the construction sites as "not necessarily disturbing", many of his colleagues, especially those who adjoin the action directly, see it very differently. Zuheta Schumacher, which runs Section 44 in Haffkrug, has had to experience the effects firsthand.

"I only had half the beach available through the pier construction site," she complains. In addition to the already difficult conditions, there was a mixed summer that is not considered satisfactory for many. "The season was very difficult, not so easy," she emphasizes. There were not only rain, but also frequent temperature fluctuations that many visitors deterred.

The number of day guests has decreased according to the bath because many choose package tours in the south. "The day tourist takes a closer look at the weather and money," says Bade. The prices for a beach chair vary between twelve and 17 euros per day, which is a not inconsiderable position for some visitors.

Schumacher has found that their 66 remaining basket seats stood close together, which not only took the space available to the customer, but also calmly. "I had to discuss a lot with the guests," she says of the dissatisfaction of the visitors due to the construction work and noise. In addition, her section suffered from the consequences of a storm surge that further worsened the beach conditions.

"I mastered this summer despite all the challenges. Now I want to tick off the season," she sums up and looks optimistically into the future. With the newly completed pier in Haffkrug, she hopes to improve the conditions for the coming year. "I want a nice sandy beach," says Zulheta Schumacher. "The way he was always."

Source: Lutz Roessler