A hopeful start to the tourist and travel year: The most popular destinations in 2009 and trends for 2010

The good news for all travellers is that the prices for holidays arranged through tour operators – whether package or custom-designed holidays – are more affordable than they have been for a long time. Depending on the destination, customers pay an average of between five and eight per cent less than the previous year. Apart from individual special offers, further price reductions are not anticipated. So people who still want to have their dream holiday – whether it is a long-haul destination, a traditional Mediterranean seaside holiday or an extensive city-cum-cultural holiday - should not hesitate, but should book now. Those who have a clear idea of their dream holiday have a wide range of offers to choose from. This is the message from the German Travel Association (DRV) at the start to the world’s biggest travel trade show, ITB Berlin. Due to improved procurement terms and conditions for tour operators, especially for hotels in destination countries, and lower aviation fuel prices, catalogue prices for 2010 have been reduced for many destinations. There are also various attractive offers for those who book early.

The marked increase in holiday bookings made through travel agencies and tour operators since mid-December confirms the Germans’ growing passion for summer holidays.  According to an analysis by the tourism panel of the market research company GfK and the booking statistics of the tour operators in the German Travel Association, the trend is clearly upwards.  “The engine is running again, and the desire for holidays is increasing” notes DRV President, Klaus Laepple. There is a growing demand for all-inclusive summer holiday deals within Germany. Turkey and Egypt continue to be increasingly popular trendy destinations, as are many distant destinations, such as Thailand, Kenya, Mexico and Sri Lanka. According to GfK figures, Mauritius and Indonesia show outstanding sales revenue growth. The booming cruise sector continues on its growth course in 2010. Since Germans appreciate premium travel products with a good price-quality ratio, upmarket products and luxury holidays are especially in demand.

Since the current winter season shows a decline in comparison to winter 2008/2009 (which did well with growth of roughly six per cent), the German Travel Association expects another challenging year, with a stabilising of participant numbers. “We are therefore cautiously optimistic, but not excited. 2011 could, after all, be a “normal” year with stable price growth and rising participant numbers” suggests DRV President Klaus Laepple.

According to the final figures for the 2009 tourist year, German tour operators overall recorded a drop in sales revenues of around three per cent to € 20.8 billion. 2009 participant numbers showed a fall of about two per cent below the previous year. Over 38.2 million holiday-makers booked their holidays through tour operators. The business travel market experienced a massive slump, namely a 25 percent drop in sales revenues for business travel agencies. Travel agencies whose tourist business is concentrated on holiday travel suffered a drop in sales revenues of about five percent in the past year, primarily on account of lower prices. Taking all high street travel agencies together for both tourist and business travel, there was a drop in sales revenues of about 13 percent to some € 19 billion.

In the past year, too, Germans preferred to spend their main holiday in traditional destinations around the Mediterranean. Despite falling numbers, Spain remained the most popular foreign destination. Italy and Austria retained their positions in second and third place respectively. In the past year, Turkey again increased its visitor numbers and Egypt welcomed the same number of holiday-makers as in the previous year. Kenya and Sri Lanka, two long-haul holiday destinations that have struggled to halt a decline in visitor numbers due to political unrest, are now beginning to feature on the tourist map again. Kenya’s visitor numbers have increased considerably, as have those of the United Arab Emirates. Other popular destinations in the past year were the Maldives and Thailand.

But Germany is and continues to be the most popular holiday destination among Germans. For one third of Germans, holidaying in their own country has for years been their first choice. And last year the travel destination Germany improved its position yet again. Roughly 40 percent of almost 76 million holidays taken by Germans were in Germany. This figure was just under 38 percent in 2008, namely two percent lower. The number of nights spent in Germany by Germans also rose in 2009 – by the impressive figure of one million.                                                                      
 

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