Market Update – December 1, 2022

Market Update – December 1, 2022

Market Update – December 1, 2022 820 312 fame creative lab

Please note: the following information has been compiled from the most important German-speaking Trade Media.

 

Current major topics within the tourism industry in the DACH region

 

  • Despite inflation: majority want to travel in 2023: Inflation cannot slow down the Germans‘ desire to travel. This is shown by a current survey of the online travel portal Urlaubspiraten. Despite the increased costs, 70 percent of those surveyed plan to travel next year, most of them plan to visit destinations abroad. Just less than half of those surveyed are planning a trip within Europe. 29 percent plan to travel by car to avoid expensive flights. 17 percent use the train to get to their vacation destination more sustainably. Germany could nevertheless become a beneficiary of the price spiral: After all, 8 percent want to vacation in Germany because of the increased travel costs. These travelers would then be added to those for whom Germany is the vacation destination of choice anyway. Read more

 

  • Far lower CO₂ emissions from the travel industry: According to a major study by the World Tourism Trade Association (WTTC), the travel and tourism sector is responsible for 8.1 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in a year. The study covers 185 countries in all regions. According to earlier estimates, the industry is responsible for up to eleven percent of emissions. The WTTC explains the discrepancy by saying that economic growth in the travel and tourism sector is decoupling from its greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions have been steadily declining since 2010 because of technological developments and the introduction of a range of energy efficiency measures across all industries in the sector, it said. Between 2010 and 2019, the sector’s GDP grew by an average of 4.3 percent per year, while its environmental footprint increased by only 2.4 percent, he said. Read more

  • Switzerland Tourism is starting the winter on an optimistic note: Martin Nydegger took stock of the current tourism year. The solid interim result is characterized by the great enthusiasm of Swiss guests for vacations in their own country. Overall, he said, tourism in Switzerland was still six percent behind 2019 in terms of hotel booking nights from January to October. The most important pillar of this strong return of tourism, he said, is locals, who have once again provided an 18 percent increase in hotel nights this year compared to 2019. Growth leveled off in October, for example, he said. For 2023, Switzerland Tourism expects tourism to recover by 95 percent compared to 2019. It expects slightly more foreign guests again in winter, offsetting the fact that the Swiss themselves are once again taking more vacations abroad. The industry expects guest numbers to stagnate. Ski camps, on the other hand, are in high demand, with the GoSnow organization currently expecting more than 16,500 students. Read more

  • WTTC sees highest travel demand since the beginning of the pandemic: At the start of the WTTC’s 22nd annual meeting in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, the association is presenting the results of a survey conducted by Yougov among 26,000 consumers in 25 countries on their travel plans. One finding: the desire to travel is reaching its highest level since the pandemic began, the WTTC said. Nearly two-thirds plan to take one vacation trip in the next twelve months. A good quarter plan to take three or more trips during that period. Consumers in Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines are planning the highest travel budgets. Another finding: sustainable travel is becoming increasingly important to consumers. A good 60 percent said they prefer sustainable brands and destinations, and 45 percent said they would only spend their money with brands that act in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Read more

 

 

Current topics within the transportation industry in Germany & Europe  

 

  • Shipping companies continue to expect short-term bookings: The current booking situation for this winter season is still only satisfactory, but by no means good. Above all, the short-term booking behavior – unusual for cruises – is still ongoing and is making planning more difficult. For example, Christmas voyages by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises can still be booked for this year. „This is a new experience,“ said sales manager Stefan Nicodemus. And he has noticed that even luxury travelers have developed a certain price sensitivity. Norwegian Cruise Line also has to live with shorter-notice bookings in the German market, but at the same time is seeing demand for trips that take place in 2024 or 2025. „The situation is not really bad, but it could be better,“ said Tilo Zimmermann, Director Business Development. Even river cruise providers such as Arosa are experiencing unusual booking behavior. „We don’t have any trips for 2025 to sell, but our bookings for the 2023 season only last until mid-summer at the moment,“ said sales director Marius Griego. Read more

  • Swiss air traffic still almost 20 percent below pre-Corona: Passenger numbers at Swiss airports are recovering steadily, but pre-pandemic levels were not yet reached again in July, August, and September, according to figures from the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA). In the third quarter of 2022, Swiss airports recorded a total of 13.7 million arriving and departing passengers (local and transfer passengers) in scheduled and charter traffic. This was 5.3 million passengers or 62% more than in the same months last year, but still 18% less than in 2019, the year before the Covid 19 pandemic began. The number of aircraft movements also increased in the third quarter of 2022 compared to 2021, rising 43% to 104,000. Read more

 

  • CT scanners for faster baggage checks: Passengers at Germany’s two largest airports can hope for faster checks of their hand luggage from next year. While Munich last week already announced an expansion program with a volume of 45 million euros for, among other things, 60 new types of baggage scanners, the Frankfurt operator Fraport also wants to install an initial 7 devices from the beginning of the year. The scanners will also make it easier for air travelers to check their baggage by eliminating the need to unpack liquids and electronic devices. The previously valid upper limit of 100 milliliters per liquid container will also be eliminated by the new devices, as the Air Office South of the Government of Upper Bavaria announced. Until now, inexperienced passengers in particular lost time at the checkpoints if they had not pre-sorted the liquids in their hand luggage. Read more

  • Christmas bookings almost at pre-crisis level at Sunny Cars: Just get away at Christmas: This is the wish felt by many travel enthusiasts, looking at the advance bookings of the quality rental car operator Sunny Cars for the Christmas vacations. With over 9,700 reservations for the period from December 23, 2022 to January 8, 2023, the number of reservations is almost at the pre-crisis level of 2019, when around 10,000 bookings were received for the winter vacations. The most popular destinations at Sunny Cars for time away over Christmas are Spain, Portugal, South Africa, the United States and Curaçao. „The trend is clear that in our source markets of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and France during this year’s Christmas vacations a lot of travel,“ affirms Thorsten Lehmann, managing partner of Sunny Cars. „Also, that the rental car prices for this period are very high, does the travel desire no damage.“ The average per rental car booking for the Christmas vacations at Sunny Cars is around EUR 523 per week. Read more

 

Destination news

  • Brazil: From November 25, travelers in Brazil will have to wear masks again in airports and airplanes. The reason for this is an increase in corona infections in recent weeks. Brazil declared an end to the mandatory wearing of masks in air travel in August.
  • Chile: Chile’s Secretariat of State for Tourism expects around 1.8 million foreign tourists in 2022. To promote the different destinations and attractions that Chile offers to Chileans and the world, there is now the Travel Recovery campaign by Mastercard, sponsored by the National Tourism Service (Sernatur) and in collaboration with the Federation of Chilean Tourism Companies (Fedetur). Associated with it are benefits and discounts in hotels, gastronomy and tourist services in companies associated with Fedetur, as well as offering exclusive experiences for Chileans and foreigners who pay with Mastercard card. Among them Experiences for the destinations of San Pedro de Atacama, Valle del Elqui, Valparaíso, Santiago, Patagonia, Easter Island and the Valleys of Wine, available until March 31, 2023.
  • China: Despite strict restrictions, 31,454 new infections were counted nationwide on Wednesday, the highest number since the Corona pandemic began. Meanwhile, the government is sticking to its rigorous zero-covid policy. In the capital Beijing, for example, schools, kindergartens, and stores are closed. In the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou, several districts of the city are completely in lockdown. And the mega-metropolis of Chongqing is only allowing people to leave in urgent cases and with a negative Corona test.
  • India: As of now, travelers to India no longer have to register electronically beforehand. However, the South Asian country continues to adhere to other corona-related rules.
  • Japan: The Japanese government will continue its domestic tourism subsidy program next year, Tourism Minister Tetsuo Saito said Friday. However, the start date will depend on covid infection rates, he said. 
  • Turkey: Turkey has had a strong summer season – also thanks to the German market. But beach vacations alone will no longer be enough in the future, according to Turkey specialists. So far, sun & beach vacation is the key segment, but since a couple of years there have been efforts to diversify the offer. A big potential is seen, for example, in thermal and health tourism, active vacations from hiking to mountain biking, and cultural tours.
  • Seychelles: Entry into Seychelles has been restored to all travelers as it was before the pandemic as of Thursday, December 1, 2022. The last covid measures for entry have been lifted.

 

Just read on and enjoy and tell your colleagues about our newsletter! 

Send them the link http://eepurl.com/g9wsQT  and they can subscribe for free and also receive information about our markets! 

And if you have any doubt or would like to talk about how to approach these markets better, just get in touch with us. We’ll be delighted to help you.

www.linktr.ee/famecreativelab   

@famecreativelab