In a normal year, the annual report, ReiseAnalyse which is released during ITB in Berlin is a much sought-after study that documents the performance of the travel and tourism industry in Germany for the previous year, and offers some observations on the near-term future.
But, as we all know, this is not a normal year. There was no ITB in Berlin earlier this month. As such, the ReiseAnalyse report that coincides the convening of ITB hardly received any notice, even though it suggests to the reader that, should the travel marketplace return to a normal pace of activity, the findings of ReiseAnalyse are encouraging—for both the domestic and international segments.
As the study described it: “Germany is in the mood for holidays. In January this year, 72 percent of the people in Germany already had definite or provisional plans to go on holiday in 2020 (vs. 71 percent in 2019). Also,
—Only 11 percent were certain that they would not go on a holiday trip in 2020 (it was 11 percent last year.
—This means that from the travelers’ perspective, the prospects for the year 2020 are very positive. This trend is confirmed by important general indicators: When assessing the development of their own economic situation, 72 percent assume that it will remain the same, 17 percent expect it to improve and 11 expect it to deteriorate.
—A look at the past year shows that demand for holidays is at a very high level. In 2019, 55 million people went on holiday, about the same number as in the previous year.
—This means that the holiday travel propensity has exceeded 78 percent, again. This indicator reflects the proportion of the population who went on at least one holiday of five days or more in 2019. —The number of holiday trips almost reached 71 million, the total volume of expenditure was over €73 billion, more than ever before. In addition, about 36 million short break travelers went on a total of 88 million short breaks with a duration of two to four days and spent almost € 24 billion ($27.48 billion).
Holiday trips and short breaks in 2019 Key figures
Basis: holiday trips (5+ days) of the German-speaking population aged 14 or over, Jan. to Dec., source: RA 2019-2020; short breaks (2-4 days) of the German-speaking population aged 14-75 years, Nov. to Oct., source: ReiseAnalyse 2019-2020
International Travel as Strong as It’s Ever Been: According to the study, more Germans than ever before have been travelling to destinations abroad:
—In 2019, 74 percent of all holiday trips went abroad (vs. 73 percent in 2018). This equates to more than 52 million trips.
—Sun & beach destinations are clearly preferred – this fits the top holiday motivation ʺsun, warmth, nice weatherʺ.
—Compared to 2018, the Mediterranean destinations were able to grow once again towards a market share of 38% of all holiday trips. Turkey, Italy and France were among the winners in 2019.
—Still, Germany remained the most important holiday destination for Germans, accounting for 26 percent of all holiday trips.
Long-Haul Trips in 2019 – Market Share by World Region
Basis: holiday trips (5+ days), long-haul destinations only; total sum > 100% due to rounding Source: RA 2011, 2020 face-to-face.
The Migration to Online Booking Continues: The structural change in holiday booking driven by digitalization is progressing: In 2019 online bookings continued to grow again. 2018 had been the first time that more holiday trips were booked online than face-to-face. This trend is expected to continue in the coming years. In terms of holiday organization, package tours and modular holidays continue to dominate over individual accommodation bookings.
Holiday Organization and Booking in 2010 vs. 2019
Organization Booking Channels
Basis: holiday trips (5+ days) of the German Basis: holiday trips with advance booking (5+ days)
-speaking population aged 14 or over of the German speaking population aged 14 or over
A Note about the Reiseanalyse: The Reiseanalyse is carried out by the FUR (Forschungsgemeinschaft Urlaub und Reise e.V.), an independent non-profit organization solely dedicated to the implementation and further development of the Reiseanalyse. A team of three partners implements the Reiseanalyse: the FUR together with the NIT (Institute for Tourism Research in Northern Europe) are responsible for organizational and scientific aspects of the survey. Ipsos is responsible for field work and data processing. FUR is located in Kiel, which is about 60 miles north of Hamburg.
