Holidays are for many people the most beautiful time of the year. However, this year many Germans are about to give up their relaxing tours. According to the results of a recent study Germans are expected to travel less and for shorter time in 2010. Greater percentage of people will also spend their vacation in their home country.
According to a market research company, GfK Gruppe, German tourists will travel less in 2010 mainly because of the fear of unemployment. The results of the fourth annual study “GfK TravelScope”, where 20,000 households were interviewed, show that the respondents plan about 4 % fewer holidays this year. For the current season ending in April this means -3.1% and -4.1% for the summer season, reported Stern.de.
The authors of the study explained the findings by the general uncertainty of consumers about the future development of their economic situation. "The insecurity is one of the reasons why they do not plan to go for holidays this year," said Roland Gassner, one of the authors of the study.
Moreover, only one in four planned trips is already booked. A large group of people is still waiting for special promotions and discounts. The majority of Germans (58%) believe that they can save more money with last minute deals than with early booking offers. 20% of respondents plan to book their tours only shortly before the actual departure. 38% of the respondents prefer an all-inclusive stay to be able to judge the costs before leaving for holiday. Four percent of Germans stated that they will not go for holidays this year at all.
One of the groups of travelers that are largely unaffected by the economic development are people over 65 years old. According to the GfK survey, seniors are planning about ten percent more trips this year compared to 2009. Furthermore, households with a monthly net income of more than €3,250 are planning six percent more vacations than last year. They are also likely to spend more than in the last year. On the other hand, 17% of Germans, which is 40% less than in 2009, want to save money while on holidays.
The domestic tourism sector is also quickly developing and the number of Germans spending holidays within Germany is expected to increase by 2.8% in 2010. This trend is supported by the increased demand of the travelers for short trips. The number of respondents opting for vacations of maximally four nights increased by 4.1%.
Related: GERMANY WELCOMED 1% MORE GUESTS IN NOVEMBER FEWER GERMAN TRAVELERS IN THE AIR
I hope the travel trade is finally going to notice the financial strength of senior travellers. Although many providers and tour operators offer services for older people, still there is long way to go. Accessible tourism is the future.