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
- Summer bookings just below 2019 level: In the booking month of August, demand, at least for travel in the summer, was still fairly unimpressed by rising consumer prices. Sales generated in travel distribution were actually higher than in August 2019, up eleven percent from both July and August 2019, according to Travel Data Analytics (TDA). TDA counts bookings made by stationary travel agencies as well as those made on online portals of tour operators and online travel agencies. With the August figures, the gap between the 2022 summer season and 2019 melts by two percentage points, and is now only five percent lower. The winter season may improve by two percentage points from the end of August booking levels, but the gap compared to the same point in 2019 is still one-third. It remains the case that short-term bookings are the norm. In August, 16 percent of monthly sales were for departures still in August and a good half for fall vacations in September and October. This means that the booking behaviour of holidaymakers remains more short-term than is the case in non-crisis periods. In terms of bookings in August for tour operator travel, Spain accounted for 24 percent of sales, followed by Turkey (19 percent) and Greece (12 percent). Read more
- Many Germans do not want to save on vacation: Despite inflation, the majority of Germans do not want to save on their own vacations in the future. This is what the Changing Traveller Report 2022 of the hotel commerce platform Site Minder claims. According to the survey, 59 percent of Germans don’t want to scrimp on their planned travel budget. 20 percent say inflation has no impact on their travel plans or budget. 39 percent say it has a moderate influence. At the same time, they stress that low prices are not the most important factor in their booking. Nevertheless, 38 percent intend to spend more or much more time searching for the cheapest accommodation than they did two years ago. In an international comparison, however, Germans are less price-sensitive. Globally, 53 percent of travellers are specifically looking for lower prices. Overall, the Germans‘ desire to travel remains high: in the next twelve months, 32 percent are planning an international trip and 27 percent a trip within Germany. 41 percent even plan to do both. Interestingly, according to Siteminder, Germans still want the flexibility to change their booking or cancel it free of charge. 80 percent see these options as „important“ or „very important.“ For the results, Siteminder analysed the travel behaviour and travel plans of more than 8,000 participants in ten countries, including 817 in Germany. Read more
- Best Agers – in the eye of the travel organisers: They have time, money and a desire for vacation: Best Agers are a popular target group for tour operators. But who exactly does this courted clientele include? This is where vacation providers have a hard time. But they still have suitable products ready. Like for instance the residents of Munich organiser FTI, which does not define Best Ager necessarily as its core target group. Nevertheless, for example, in the Turkish luxury resorts such as the Titanic Beach Lara, the Sunris Evren Beach Resort & Spa and the Suneo Hotels Deluxe Belek so-called Best Ager rooms are bookable. These have standard equipment and are more favourably priced than other room categories. Competitor Schauinsland-Reisen thinks that Best Agers will play an increasingly important role in the coming years due to demographic change. Since the target group is generally the one with the strongest purchasing power, a trend that has already become apparent this year will continue, it said: Many guests are already booking vacations in higher-quality and more spacious facilities this year. Alltours knows that Best Agers are not a homogeneous target group, but an important one. Accordingly, their demands and wishes for vacations are very different. Like Schauinsland, Alltours is also noticing a trend toward higher-quality travel. Read more
Current topics within the transportation industry in Germany & Europe
- Pilots‘ strike slows Eurowings – numerous flight cancellations: Pilots of the airline Eurowings went on a day-long strike on Thursday. The industrial action began as planned, said a spokesman for the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union. Eurowings expects to cancel about half of all flights on Thursday. On average, Eurowings operates about 500 flights a day, carrying 50,000 to 70,000 passengers to destinations in Germany and Europe. VC called for the walkout at the Lufthansa subsidiary after negotiations over a collective bargaining agreement failed. Eurowings plans to operate on Thursday mainly with aircraft from its Austrian subsidiary Eurowings Europe, which is not on strike, but also with aircraft from partner companies that also operate some of its other flights. The situation varies greatly depending on the airport, a company spokesman said Wednesday. Airports such as Mallorca, Stockholm or Prague, which are frequently served by Eurowings Europe, were less affected. German destinations, on the other hand, were hit harder than average. In Düsseldorf alone, Eurowings‘ largest location, 118 flights are likely to be cancelled, according to the airport. Another 60 are scheduled to take place. In Cologne/Bonn, 61 of the planned 90 flights were cancelled. Read more
- Frankfurt Airport limits capacity in winter: In order not to overload handling at the Rhine-Main hub, airport operator Fraport has applied to the Federal Ministry of Transport for a cap at 90 aircraft movements per hour, reports the portal Aero. Ideally, 106 would be possible. The limit is initially to apply until the end of the year. For the airlines, this means adjusting their flight schedules and postponing or cancelling flights. From October 29 to December 31, 2022, Fraport will draw the stop line for the Frankfurt hub at 90 movements per hour. „Airlines are (…) urged to return slots and/or make slot changes for the period Oct. 29-Dec. 31, 2022, as well as for slot series in WFP2022/23,“ it says. It is up to the airlines „to decide which flights to cancel or reschedule.“ Read more
- MSC offers a new port of entry in the Red Sea: The MSC Splendida sails in winter on 7-night voyages in the Red Sea. Now Sokhna (Egypt) is additionally on the program as a new port of entry. This will also allow guests to visit the Pyramids of Giza. In the 2022/23 winter season, MSC will offer 7-night itineraries through the Red Sea on the Splendida. The schedule now includes Sokhna as a port of entry, in addition to Safaga in Egypt and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. From there, the Egyptian capital Cairo and the pyramids of Giza can be easily visited. A total of five excursions are on the program from Sokhna. From Safaga, guests can choose from 13 shore excursions, including to the ancient city of Luxor. Aqaba, a destination port for Petra in Jordan, and Jeddah and Yanbu in Saudi Arabia also offer excursions. Read more
Destination news
- Australia/ New Zealand: The first World Cup in women’s soccer to be held in two countries will take place from July 20 to August 20. The venues in Australia are Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, where the opening match and final will take place. In New Zealand, the ball will roll in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. Advance ticket sales begin on October 6.
- Bahamas: The reconstruction of the cruise port in Nassau, Bahamas, is scheduled for completion in early 2023. At a cost of the equivalent of 303 million euros, the cruise port will be made more sustainable, environmentally friendly and effective. Capacity will grow from 3.8 million passengers to 5.2 million per year. The extended and expanded cruise piers will then even be able to serve three Oasis Class ships at the same time.
- Greece: Greece’s Corinth Canal is closed again. The waterway, which separates the Peloponnese from the mainland and is important primarily for tourism, will be closed for several months for repairs. Most recently, the Corinth Canal was closed for a long time after a landslide and rockfall and was not opened for the season until July. According to the operating company, passage for ships will not be possible again until the summer.
- Morocco: Air traffic controllers in Morocco plan to strike for two weeks. From next Saturday, 3 p.m. local time, the air traffic control in Morocco will be on strike for 15 days. This has been announced by the air traffic controllers‘ representation. If the strike is actually carried out, major restrictions and flight cancellations must be expected, reports the security service provider A3M.
- Spain: World Travel Awards Europe 2022 winners were announced in Mallorca. Europe’s premier travel brands have been revealed at a blockbuster gala ceremony at the new Hilton Mallorca Galatzo. The brightest stars of the hospitality industry aligned at the World Travel Awards (WTA) European Gala Ceremony 2022 to discover who amongst them had won the ultimate accolades in tourism. Triumphant at the red carpet event was The Algarve, Portugal winning the coveted title of ‘Europe’s Leading Beach Destination’, while Porto picked up the prized honour of ‘Europe’s Leading City Destination’.
- Thailand: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to advise that as of today international travellers to Thailand will no longer be required to show proof of vaccination or ATK test results, and a longer length of stay will be on offer, signalling the completion of the kingdom’s full reopening to international tourism.
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