The international supply chains disrupted by Corona and the Ukraine conflict are still causing problems, and not just in the car sector. However, while there are still delivery bottlenecks for new cars for end consumers, the situation on the rental car market is easing. The rental car operator Sunny Cars, for example, reports that the fleets of the vehicle providers are growing again. How vacationers in 2023 can get a cheap rental car during their trip.
Small cars in particular have suffered from the weakening supply chains in recent years – which was also noticeable in the market for rental vehicles. Demand from rental car providers collapsed due to the pandemic, numerous companies withdrew from purchase contracts and fleet sizes shrank. Demand is now picking up again, but availability continues to vary greatly depending on vehicle type and region. For holidaymakers, it is therefore important to book the trip including rental car as early as possible, as the consumer center advises, among others.
The rental car provider Sunny Cars shows with current figures that the general demand, especially for long-distance travel destinations, is increasing again: According to this, in January 65, in February 12 and in March 36 percent more bookings were received than in the corresponding period of the previous year. Demand for the destinations USA, Canada and South Africa increased the most. The value of South Africa, where inquiries have increased by 191 percent compared to the previous year, is even higher than the level of 2019.
However, despite a slight relaxation, the price level is somewhat above the pre-pandemic period, especially for the small cars, which are still often scarce but popular. Although the supply is gradually approaching the demand again, but because the costs of vehicle procurement and maintenance have also increased in recent years, prices are currently at a higher level. It is therefore essential to compare the prices in advance, because even within a country, regional differences can have a massive impact on the price.
An analysis by the research association Holidays and Travel (FUR. e.V.) even expects the travel volume of Germans to return to the level before the pandemic, despite the current crises for 2023. “We almost did that last summer season,” said DRV President Norbert Fiebig. Around 38 percent of bookings for the coming summer are in the Mediterranean region, 17 percent in neighboring countries and 6 percent in long-haul destinations such as Africa or Canada and the USA.
