Two countries with an important tourist tradition ready to restart, which have managed the pandemic in a different way: Switzerland is more "liberal", and Austria is more in line with the other EU countries. We asked two important companies for an insight that will bring their news to Host2021 from 22 to 26 October.

The catering trends for 2021 and beyond? "More wood and comfort in interior design, outdoor kitchens  (due to the situation) mobile kitchens and pop-up devices and sustainability, with a more decisive focus on the concept of regional products from field to table". Thomas Sandor, head of marketing and product management of the Swiss company Salvis AG, is convinced of this. As for professional equipment, “the most interesting items are probably the innovative Combi-steamers. But due to their size, takeaway and bistro items will probably be the most sought after. We are working on the renewal of our modular cooking line and the web connection on some products ".

As for the situation in the hospitality sector, outdoor restaurants and hotels in Switzerland are open, with ski resort hotels open all winter. The cities suffer. “In 2020 all the restaurants and hotels that could renovate their kitchen have done so, an approach that continues even now. For 2021, we expect the businesses to be at a low level of employment: restaurateurs will have to consider very carefully whether to invest or maintain cash flow internally.

At Host2021, Salvis will present the compact ranges of 800x800 induction hobs for small kitchens such as pubs and bars. "We expect to present our equipment to new and consistent partners to be ready when the tourism and gastronomy businesses return to normal, which will not happen before the start of 2023".

"At the start of the pandemic, customer orders almost went to zero, but since October 2020 we have seen a general restart with even a sudden surge, where the challenge was to maintain the supply chain for customers" says Christian Winkler, sales director of the Austrian Fulterer, a manufacturer of stainless steel drawer slides for professional applications (refrigeration, neutral and cooking). “By improving movement thanks to our guides, we are able to reduce costs and lighten the work for operators in the kitchen or at the bar, thanks to the amortized closures of the drawers that eliminate noise, regardless of the load. We will bring to HOST 2021 a new generation of products”.

Austria has had differentiated closures, with the West less penalized, while in general most of the venues reopened on May 19. “The tourist flows are now only local, so business and foreign tourism suffer, as has happened especially during the winter, a very important season for us. Now we all look forward to compensating and recovering the losses. The government has also given a great deal of support, few companies have had to close, many have innovated by offering delivery and takeaways and actively activating on social media ”.