War refugees: The hoteliers’ project is underway
politics
The private project, in which war refugees from Ukraine are housed in hotels, is going well, says initiator and hotelier Sepp Schellhorn from Goldegg (Pongau). Around 250 hotels in Austria, Germany and South Tyrol are taking part at their own expense. Government tax money is not tapped into.
In his own Seehof, Sepp Schellhorn himself has accommodated two large families from the Ukraine, and two additional 17-year-olds are expected soon. For him, the project is an affair of the heart, says the former NEOS MP. He has inspired many colleagues in the industry to do the same.
Many active themselves after three months
250 hotels in Austria, South Tyrol and Germany are now ready to take in war refugees from the Ukraine. The number keeps changing, says Schellhorn. The length of stay is agreed individually. Most of the time it’s about three months, because the newcomers then use it to find their own accommodation or move in with friends or relatives.
No tax money in use
Like many NGOs, the participating hoteliers do not receive tax money from government coffers. One is in close contact with the federal government if accommodation is needed.
The private initiative is not intended to raise money for board and lodging or to fill empty hotel beds profitably, says the Salzburg hotelier Schellhorn.