Germany is currently facing high inflation, which is putting a strain on people's budgets. However, many individuals are still willing to spend significant money on vacations. The travel industry is returning and expected to reach pre-COVID-19 sales levels soon. Despite the challenging economic situation, holidaymakers from Germany are staying on their much-needed vacations. Experts point out that inflation and the energy crisis did not lead to a low-cost boom. According to industry leader Tui, people spend even more on holidays.
The increased demand from guests for hotels with higher star categories continued in the winter season. As a result, most Germans opted for high-end hotels between November 2022 and February 2023. Specifically, over 82% of bookings were for 4- or 5-star accommodations, a notable increase from the summer of 2022 and the winter of 2019/20 prior to the pandemic.
Spain is a top tourist destination for Germans
At the same time, many German holidaymakers attach importance to budget control. For example, 37 percent opted for all-inclusive offers, 21 % more than in the same period of three years, and 16 % more than last year. Spain, particularly the Canary Islands, was the most popular destination among Germans, especially during winter.
A tourism group TUI shows that people are spending more on their vacations. The average price of trips sold is currently 5% higher than the previous year and 26% higher than in the summer of 2019. Tui boss Sebastian Ebel spoke of "strong booking development," especially in recent weeks. The group counted 8.3 million bookings for the summer. The number is 13 % higher than the previous year and almost as high as pre-Corona 2019.
More bookings
Recent data published by analytic company TDA, an analysis company, shows that tour operators' sales for the 2022/23 winter and 2023 summer seasons were only 4% lower than pre-COVID levels.
The sales growth was higher than would justify increased travel prices and higher spending by sun-seekers in the summer alone. Thus, booking trends point to continued strong holiday demand.
Based on the data, there has been a 23% increase in people booking organized trips for this summer compared to last year through travel agencies and online. However, there is still a 27% gap compared to the summer of 2019.