Just as ITB convenes in Berlin, the news about the state of the German tour and travel industry is encouraging. Only last week, the German trade publication, FVW, releasing partial findings from its annual FVW Tour Operators Dossier, which showed that Top 10 Tour operators in the country had 2017 sales totaling $26.2 billion, with annual increases for 9 out of 10 ranging from 1.4 percent to 30.5 percent. Only one—DER Touristik—experienced a decline (of 3.6 percent).
A week later FVW released additional findings from its Tour Operators Dossier showing that a number of mid-size operators experienced double-digit percentage increases in sales in 2017, and that these operators “are confident about prospects for this year.”
Quick takes from the latest findings released by FVW:
- The fastest-growing mid-sized tour operators last year with increases of more than 20 percent were Bentour, Lernidee, Attika and Chamäleon, but six others also managed growth of over 15 percent.
- Specialists for cultural holidays, such as study tours and “‘experience trips,” generally had a satisfactory year.
- Studiosus/Marco Polo increased revenues by 5 percent to €276 million ($340 million), while
- TUI-owned Gebeco/Dr. Tigges grew slightly to €118 million ($145 million).
- Smaller competitors such as Lernidee; Chamäleon; Diamir Erlebnisreisen, up 18 percent to €36 million ($44.3 million); and Ikarus Tours, up 13 percent to €34 million ($41.9 million) all generated double-digit growth.
- The largest tour operator for “active holidays,” Wikinger Reisen, had healthy growth of 9 percent to €108 million ($133 million).
- Destination specialists … Bentour and Attika grew strongly; Olimar, which focuses mainly on Portugal, dropped 4 percent
- Canusa had a solid 5 percent rise in revenue with strong growth for Canada and a slight rise for the USA.
The full Dossier comes out each year just prior to ITB. Along with an annual report from the German Travel Industry Association (DRV), which is published for ITB, it makes the place and the occasion the premier venue for measure the pulse and condition of the German tour and travel industry.
