Despite the gloomy economic outlook and the burden of increased prices, people in Germany are keen to travel, according to a survey. According to an analysis by the Vacation and Travel Research Association (FUR), in January 73 percent of the almost 7,300 respondents planned to travel safely on vacation this year (previous year 70 percent).
At 41 percent (previous year: 35 percent) the goal has already been set. “We are completely out of the crisis,” says study director Ulf Sonntag. There is much to suggest that 2024 will be a good tourism year.
The proportion of respondents who do not yet know whether they are going on a holiday trip of at least 5 days is back to the level it was before the corona pandemic at 16 percent. In 2023 it was still 23 percent and during the pandemic it was sometimes more than 30 percent. Only 10 percent are definitely not planning a vacation trip this year.
“For most people, a long journey is part of life,” says Sonntag. If money is tight, people are more likely to save in other areas than on the vacation itself. In another survey by the Ipsos Institute on behalf of FUR in September, 60 percent said they had saved in the past twelve months in order to be able to travel. Holiday travel remains second only to food when it comes to consumer priorities, explains Sonntag.
Focus on one big main trip
However, some people save themselves further vacation trips throughout the year. “We see a concentration on one major main trip,” says Sonntag. Last year the number of holidaymakers who took a trip of 5 days or more rose to 54.6 million (previous year: 53.1 million). However, the number of vacation trips fell from 67.1 to 65 million because some people canceled their second trip. Expenses for the most beautiful weeks of the year rose to a record level of almost 87 billion euros, also due to higher prices.
After the slump in the corona pandemic, trips abroad are once again clearly popular with travelers. According to the study, 78 percent of vacation trips last year went to destinations outside of Germany and 22 percent went domestically. Abroad, the classic destinations around the Mediterranean dominated with Spain ahead of Italy, Turkey, Croatia and Greece. In Germany, which according to the information is still in first place as an individual market, Bavaria was still the most popular among holidaymakers, followed by Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Share of air travel at its highest level
Providers of organized trips benefited from the increasing business abroad. The share of package holidays rose to 48 percent in 2023 after 43.3 percent in the previous year. According to the information, the proportion of air travel among the chosen means of transport was higher than ever before at almost 47 percent and for the first time exceeded cars, caravans and motorhomes. This is mainly related to the travel destinations.
“Various crises are impacting demand, but on the other hand there is still some catching up to do post-Corona,” summarizes Sonntag. The BAT Foundation for Future Issues also came to the conclusion in recently published survey results that people in Germany are in the mood to travel.