Unfazed by Rising Infections, Danes Flock to Restaurants
Unfazed by Rising Infections, Danes Flock to Restaurants
(Bloomberg) --
Danes are spending more money in restaurants than before the pandemic, ignoring fresh restrictions and a rise in coronavirus infections, according to data collected by Danske Bank A/S.
Restaurant spending in the period Nov. 13-20 -- the first week after the Danish government introduced mandatory corona passports for diners -- rose roughly 20% compared with 2019 levels, according to the electronic payment data.
The Nordic nation is known for its dining scene, with the Danish capital taking first and second spot this year on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list, compiled by William Reed Business Media. Its also been among the most resilient to the coronavirus crisis in the past twelve months, according to Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking.
“The people who tend to visit restaurants are probably also those who’re most likely to be fully vaccinated and they seem not to have been deterred so far,” Louise Aggerstrom Hansen, a chief analyst at Danske, said by phone.
“Still, it will be interesting to see if this will change now as virus numbers keep rising and more restrictions may be coming,” she said.
Read more: Denmark May Introduce More Restrictions to Fight Virus, TV2 Says
Meanwhile, spending on travel has weakened significantly over the last month, indicating that people are reluctant to plan vacation trips long-term amid rising infection rates both domestically and abroad, Danske said.
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