After two years of the Corona pandemic, there are signs of normalization of vacation habits. Unlike in 2020 and 2021, many German citizens again plan to travel abroad. This is the result of a Yougov survey published last week.
According to the survey, 34 percent of the 2029 respondents from Germany want to spend their vacation in Europe, 10 percent outside Europe. A total of 48 percent answered that they wanted to spend their main vacation in their own home region or at least in Germany. The survey was, therefore, representative, but only "outdoor enthusiasts" were asked - i.e. people who hike, cycle or otherwise enjoy being out in the fresh air.
The Yougov opinion researchers asked the question in March, i.e. already after the start of the war in Ukraine. The previous survey a year ago had shown a very different picture: At that time, almost two-thirds had said they wanted to vacation in their own home region or within the country. Accordingly, many German vacation regions were fully booked last summer.
According to the survey, a widely commented trend of the two Corona years may have become permanently established: 24 percent answered that they still hike or do other fresh-air sports more often than before the pandemic began. 15 percent, on the other hand, have actually reduced their outdoor activities.
Moreover, the findings revealed that almost every third German respondents believes that they generally spend more money on travel than before the pandemic. 17 percent of them put the reason for this primarily in rising fuel and energy costs, 13 percent named higher costs for food and accommodation as the cause. On the other hand, 61 percent of those surveyed stated that they did not spend more money than before Corona, and eight percent did not provide any information.
While the holidaymakers who travel abroad are ready to spend more money for a trip, they also often want better customer service, as the survey also shows. In return for increased costs, 20 percent of all respondents would expect more flexible rebooking and cancellation options. If there are unexpected travel changes, 15 percent expect quick and precise information about them as well as suitable alternatives and, if necessary, a refund. For the higher costs, six percent place value above all on better on-site support and when booking.
In an effort to boost domestic tourism, the German government is to launch a 9-euro ticket starting in June. The ticket valid nationwide for three months on buses and trains should cost only 9 euros thus offering low-budget travel around the country. The ticket is part of a relief package of the government reacting to the increased energy costs for petrol and diesel. The authorities want to persuade German drivers to switch to local public transport.