The summer travel wave is approaching. Tour operators are reporting strong demand. The bankruptcy of FTI does not seem to be dampening the desire to travel.
People in Germany are in the mood to travel. Before the start of the summer holidays, which begin on Thursday in Thuringia and Saxony, organizers are reporting strong demand and some hotels are already fully booked. “The Germans are in a great mood to travel this year,” says Kerstin Heinen from the German Travel Association (DRV). After the travel restrictions of the Corona years, vacation is now back at the top of the wish list for Germans – “despite all economic developments.”
Two thirds want to go on holiday
According to a representative survey conducted by the market research institute Innofact on behalf of Norisbank, 63.5 percent of Germans are planning a vacation trip in the summer. This is the highest figure in five years and more than in the pre-Corona year of 2019. At the world’s largest travel group Tui, 60 percent of the summer program was fully booked in May.
The second-largest company in the industry, DER Touristik, with the brands Dertour, ITS and Meiers Weltreisen, also reports strong booking figures. “We see that demand continues to increase,” says a spokeswoman. “Travel will remain a priority in 2024.” After the insolvency of their competitor FTI at the beginning of June, both tour operators now want to increase their capacity again in order to create additional places.
Holidaymakers are drawn to the Mediterranean
After the travel restrictions during the Corona years, holidaymakers are once again drawn to distant places, says tourism expert Torsten Kirstges from the Jade University of Applied Sciences in Wilhelmshaven. “The classic destinations are on the rise again.” Especially around the Mediterranean: first and foremost Spain, but also Italy, Turkey and Greece.
“Mallorca is doing particularly well,” says a Tui spokesman. CEO Sebastian Ebel warned in May that places on the most popular holiday island for Germans could become scarce in the summer. Things could also get tight on popular Greek islands, his spokesman added.
Competitors court FTI customers
Kirstges believes that the FTI insolvency will not dampen the desire to travel. “It will not have a major immediate impact on travel behavior.” The market has long since been redistributed. “There are enough offers from other tour operators who are now trying to attract customers.”
And thanks to the protection provided by the German Travel Insurance Fund, package holidaymakers can expect a refund of the money they have already paid. Only a very small number of FTI customers would therefore be likely to forego their summer holiday altogether. “That will only be a tiny minority,” believes Kirstges.
Long-distance travel in demand again
Overall, it is clear that more people are flying again. “Air travel has increased sharply since 2022 and has now reached at least the level before Corona,” says Kirstges. And this despite increased ticket prices. Many are drawn not only to the Mediterranean, but also to Asia or America. “More long-distance trips are being booked again. This is now on the rise again,” says Kirstges.
“There is definitely a need to catch up after it had completely disappeared during the Corona period.” Destinations in Asia such as the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia are “more in demand than ever,” reports a spokeswoman for DER Touristik. The same applies to North America, Mauritius and the United Arab Emirates.
Holidaymakers spend more
However, customers have to dig deeper into their pockets for their vacation. “It has become more expensive. Travel expenses have increased, also because of inflation,” says Kirstges. But that has not dampened people’s desire to travel. “People are more likely to save money by going on vacation for one or two days less, or by spending a little less money locally.”
Tui and DER Touristik both agree that there is no saving on the holiday itself. On the contrary, many customers are even spending more and booking better hotels or extras, both operators report. And cruises are also becoming popular again. Many ships are already fully booked, Tui says.
Germany remains the number 1 travel destination
The desire to travel is also benefiting domestic holiday regions. “The most important travel destination for Germans is still Germany,” says Kirstges. Around a quarter of all holidaymakers stay in their own country. “The coasts of the North Sea and Baltic Sea are popular. But also Bavaria and the mountains.”
The current flooding in parts of Bavaria will not change that. “It will have little effect, as we have seen with previous natural disasters. When the flooding is over and the tourist infrastructure is intact, people will travel there again.”
People in Lower Saxony are therefore optimistic about the upcoming season. “The booking situation for the islands, the inland areas and the coast is good,” reports a spokeswoman for the North Sea Tourism Agency in Wilhelmshaven. The occupancy rate is on average between 75 and 90 percent.
The mood in Schleswig-Holstein is less optimistic. After an initially good start, the travel year is now rather mixed, says Bettina Bunge from the Schleswig-Holstein Tourism Agency. “There is still capacity for the summer in all regions.”
Industry in Bavaria is optimistic
In Bavaria, on the other hand, the fallow land is optimistic. “We are confident and hopeful and are looking forward to a good summer season,” says Thomas Geppert from the hotel and restaurant association Dehoga Bayern. Fears that the floods could lead to a wave of cancellations, which may also affect areas not affected by the floods, have not yet been dispelled. There is still no clear picture, says Geppert. However, we have heard of cancellations from individual businesses.
However, the hope that domestic tourism could maintain the boom it experienced during the travel restrictions in the Corona years has long since evaporated. “Everything has now been put into perspective again,” says Kirstges. “It’s back to normal levels.”
Source: Stern
