The consequences of the corona pandemic are largely a thing of the past – at least when it comes to the desire to travel. In 2024, people will be drawn to holiday destinations again.
Recession, inflation, wars and crises cannot deter people in Germany from their desire to travel. 63 percent have already planned a holiday trip of at least five days, as the BAT Foundation for Future Issues reports in its published 40th tourism analysis.
Last year it was three percentage points less – and before the corona pandemic it was only two percentage points more with a view to 2020. Only 18 (previous year: 20) percent said they did not want to travel this year. 19 percent were still unsure. For the representative study, the GfK Institute surveyed 3,000 women and men aged 18 and over online in December 2023 and January 2024.
“These numbers illustrate how willing German citizens are to turn their dreams into reality despite ongoing uncertainty,” said the BAT Foundation. “When it comes to travel destinations, the trend towards foreign holiday destinations will continue, although Germany will remain the most popular travel destination this year.”
Despite all the challenges, “traveling will remain a central part of the lives of many citizens in 2024, for which they are prepared to spend a lot of money,” emphasized the foundation’s scientific director, Ulrich Reinhardt.
Traveling abroad is popular again
According to the BAT study, travel to other countries is increasingly becoming the focus when choosing travel destinations. After Germany was the preferred main travel destination last year with a market share of 37 percent, only 28 percent of those surveyed stated Germany as their main holiday destination for 2024. 39 percent are aiming for European destinations, 16 percent are planning a long-distance trip.
According to the study, such trips were “also in demand last year and almost reached pre-Corona levels again – despite increased flight costs.” Countries in Far East Asia that have been able to significantly increase their market share are particularly popular. But all other destinations outside Europe also saw growth year-on-year. “The Germans are (again) ready to explore the world and discover foreign cultures,” said Reinhardt.
According to the study, Spain and Italy will have expanded their top positions among foreign destinations in 2023. Scandinavia ended up in third place for the first time. For Reinhardt, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark were particularly sought after because of their image. “Many travelers associate the Nordic countries with nature, safety, high quality standards, atmosphere and great hospitality.”
Source: Stern
