The business of the travel group DER Touristik is running at full speed despite the inflation. “It’s looking very good at the moment,” said Central Europe boss Ingo Burmester on Tuesday. “The cumulative booking status for the coming summer is already more than 50 percent above the previous year’s level at the same time.” The expected booking peak in January and February is still to come. In the entire travel year 2022/23, Dertour and its sister brands ITS and Meiers Weltreisen are likely to significantly exceed the sales level before the Corona crisis.
According to Burmester, price increases for tour operators in the summer will be well below the overall inflation rate of more than 8 percent expected for this year. “By purchasing our hotel and flight capacities a year in advance on average, we can also guarantee attractive prices in the summer of 2023,” said the manager.
Last minute offers are becoming scarce
In his estimation, however, times are becoming more difficult for bargain hunters. “The last-minute offers from the airlines to us have decreased. Today, in my opinion, it’s cheaper to take advantage of early-bird discounts instead of opting for last-minute deals.” The organizer advertises with early bird discounts of up to 50 percent and flexible tariffs, which allow free rebooking or cancellation up to 14 days before departure for a fee.
Subsequent price increases for booked trips are further excluded by the second largest German tourism group behind Tui. “People want planning security. That’s why package tours are currently experiencing a renaissance,” said Burmester.
In the past travel year 2021/2022, the fourth wave of the pandemic and corona restrictions weighed on winter business at the beginning of the year. However, sales in summer 2022 were above the level of the pre-Corona summer. “All in all, we are as close as possible to the pre-corona level,” said Burmester. Overall, sales for the current 2022/23 winter season are still lagging behind slightly. “We’re catching up every week at the moment.”
The manager assumes that in 2023 travelers will increasingly opt for longer, higher-quality summer vacations. As early as summer 2022, vacations across all destinations were reportedly just under a day longer on average. On average, higher-quality hotels were also booked. Demand in the luxury segment has increased.
