42 percent of Germans stated in a recent survey that they plan to go for vacation this year. Spain remains the most favorite destination.
While the effects of the world economic crisis are slowly diminishing, Germans seem to be ready to travel again. According to a recent analysis by the British American Tobacco (BAT) in Hamburg 42% of Germans plan to go for vacation this year. “One in nine even plan to go for two or more vacations,” said Ulrich Reinhardt, Tourism Expert in BAT, quoted by Welt.de.
According to the results of a survey with 4000 respondents, one in four travelers wants to spend the vacation in Germany, one third plans to travel somewhere in Europe, and one in ten wants to go beyond the European borders. Among the most favorite destinations are Spain, Turkey and Italy. Last year German vacationers spent on average €1038 for their holiday, stated the authors of the survey.
There are also changes in the intensity of travelling. Four fifths of all employed Germans go regularly for holiday. However only one in five of those whose household income is less than €1000 a month can afford a vacation. According to Reinhardt “Germany developed into a two-class society – the mobile and the immobile one.”
The authors claim that it is probably because of this reason why Germany remains the most popular holiday destination for its inhabitants. In 2009 German hotels recorded for the first time in the last six years fewer overnight stays of foreign guests. The Federal Statistical Office announced there were 54.9 million overnight stays by foreigners in hotels and camps in 2009, which is 3 % less than in the previous year. The total number of overnight stays remained almost constant with 369 million.
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