The first few weeks of the year are the prime time for booking summer holidays, with tour operators offering attractive early bird discounts. This year, German travelers are booking even earlier; early booking is expected to be a trend in 2024.
"Germans are eager to travel," states Norbert Fiebig, the President of the DRV (German Travel Association). This is evident from the high sales figures for early bird bookings for summer trips between May and October 2024. According to an exclusive Travel Data + Analytics (TDA) report, packages and modular trips from tour operators worth around 3.6 billion euros are already available in physical travel agencies and online travel portals.
This figure is significantly higher than last year's sales revenue of 2.4 billion euros and even higher than the pre-pandemic year of 2019, which recorded 3.3 billion euros in sales revenue.
According to experts in the travel market, it is expected that a majority of Germans will travel this year despite the economic uncertainty. Popular destinations in the summer include eastern Mediterranean countries such as Turkey and Greece, with many bookings already being received for organized trips to these locations. Spain, with its Balearic and Canary Islands and the mainland, is also popular among German travelers.
Moreover, Egypt and Tunisia are also catching up significantly. Long-haul travel is predicted to return this summer, and demand for cruises is also expected to come back in full force.
German tour operators advise booking travel early to access the full range of offers. The earlier you book, the better the chance of finding the deal you want. This differs from last-minute offers, which require more flexibility as the options become limited closer to your travel dates.
Early bird discounts vary from tour operator to tour operator. Some have a specific deadline for booking, while others have a particular period before the trip, such as up to 100 days before the trip's start. Remember that early booking doesn't necessarily mean cheaper prices but provides a broader range of options.
Planning a budget-friendly vacation can be challenging, given the numerous options available. It is important to note that the cost of an identical package tour from the same provider remains the same across all booking channels. This means there are no price differences between complete vacation trips booked through a stationary travel agency, on the Internet, or at the airport.
Tour operators are gaining popularity among Germans as they offer travelers protection and support before, during, and after their vacation.