Market Update - 08.05.24

CURRENT MAJOR TOPICS WITHIN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THE DACH REGION

• THE TIKTOCIZATION OF THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY: Video hype drives selfie tourism to the extreme. Short videos are becoming the most important information channel for tourists - for all generations. This is changing the travel industry forever. Read more

• HIKING TOURISM IS A STRONG ECONOMIC FACTOR: Every year, hikers spend 11.2 billion euros and create 144,000 jobs, especially in rural regions. Around two thirds of those who discovered hiking in the coronavirus era have recently moved back to the beach. However, Professor Heinz-Dieter Quack from Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences knows that many of the newcomers are younger people. Read more

• TIC WANTS TO BRING THE CYCLING INDUSTRY AND TOURISM TOGETHER: The Travel Industry Club (TIC) and the Eurobike bicycle trade fair have entered into a strategic partnership. The aim is to strengthen the links between the tourism industry and the two-wheeler and new mobility sector. As part of this year's trade fair, the TIC will be offering a tour of the trade fair on July 4 based on tourism aspects and a networking evening event entitled "Travel Industry meets Bike Industry". "The tourism industry has a huge range of topics, and bicycles will play an even greater role in the future. Our aim as a business club is to identify opportunities and synergies, promote cooperation and facilitate closer collaboration between industries," says TIC President Markus Tressel. With over 1,900 exhibitors and more than 66,000 visitors, Eurobike is the world's largest two-wheeler trade fair. Read more

• THESE ARE THE "PRICE CHAMPIONS" IN THE INDUSTRY:  The analysis and consulting company Service Value has compiled a new ranking on behalf of the newspaper "Welt". This time it is all about prices. Current and former customers of a total of 3,726 companies were asked about their "general price experience". In the case of stationary travel agencies, customers' "price enthusiasm" is generally at 40.2 percent. The winner in this category is Alltours Reisecenter with 50.1 percent. Online travel agencies are much more frequently associated with low prices by their customers (46.6%). Lastminute.com is in first place with a score of 57.1 percent. As expected, the providers of travel deals performed even better (51.5%). The front runner here is Travelzoo with 59.5%. Read more

• GNTB THREATENED WITH MASSIVE BUDGET CUTS - LMOS' URGENT LETTER TO MINISTER HABECK: According to information from TN-Deutschland, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) is facing a massive budget cut for 2025. According to the draft budget, funding for international marketing in particular is to be drastically cut. While the GNTB still has around 30 million euros available for this purpose this year, including special funds, this item is to be reduced to 20.1 million euros next year. Andreas Braun, Managing Director of Tourismus Marketing GmbH Baden-Württemberg (TMBW), has now sent an urgent letter to the Minister of Economic Affairs to draw his attention to the effects of such rigorous cuts. Read more

• FIRST SPEAKERS AND TOPICS FOR CONGRESS CONFIRMED: After two years abroad, the leading trade congress for German tourism is returning to Germany. On September 16 and 17, 2024, decision-makers from the industry will meet in Cologne, where the event was held for a long time before the pandemic. The first topics and speakers have already been confirmed. Read more

• ARGE LATIN AMERICA ON ROADSHOW IN JUNE: The Latin America Working Group (Arge) will be on the road in June. In addition to presentations with lots of new products, there will be a travel market, culinary delights and drinks. There will also be plenty of time for networking. The events run from 6.30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and take place on June 3 in Bremen, on June 4 in Münster and on June 5 in Cologne. Read more

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CURRENT TOPICS WITHIN THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY IN GERMANY & EUROPE

• SWISS: NEW LONG-HAUL DESTINATION UNTER DISCUSSION: The Swiss airline has been flying to Washington D.C. since the beginning of April. Next week, Seoul and Toronto will follow as new long-haul destinations. Now rumors are swirling about another destination that could soon be served by Swiss with direct flights. Read more

• LUFTHANSA CLEARLY MISSES CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TARGETS: The Net Promoter Score (NPS), a key performance indicator for customer satisfaction within the Lufthansa Group, continues to fall for the crane. While the Group had aimed for an NPS value of 50 for its airlines Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels in the current reporting year, after evaluating all customer feedback it landed at just 27. Even Eurowings, with a value of 44, performs better than the "premium airline" Lufthansa. The NPS ranges from minus 100 (no one is satisfied and would recommend) to plus 100 (everyone is satisfied). Read more

• AIR INDIA FLIES AGAIN FROM ZURICH: Air India will operate the route between New Delhi and Zurich in future. The airline will operate four weekly flights between the two cities from June 16, 2024 - on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, as announced by Zurich Airport. The modern Boeing 787-8 with 256 seats will be used on the route. Read more

• RAIL EUROPE: NEW PARTNER IN EASTERN EUROPE: Rail ticket specialist Rail Europe is now offering significantly more train connections in Eastern Europe. Thanks to the new partner Regio Jet, a private railroad company in the Czech Republic, important destinations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia and Hungary can now be booked via Rail Europe's B2B solutions. Read more

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DESTINATION NEWS

• JAPAN: Japan becomes an affordable travel destination. The general deflation and the comparatively weak yen against the Swiss franc are increasingly attracting travelers. Japan is currently experiencing a real boom. More foreigners are currently traveling to the country than ever before. In March 2024, the number of foreign visitors to Japan exceeded the three million mark for the first time. Read more

• USA: Japan becomes an affordable travel destination. The general deflation and the comparatively weak yen against the Swiss franc are increasingly attracting travelers. Japan is currently experiencing a real boom. More foreigners are currently traveling to the country than ever before. In March 2024, the number of foreign visitors to Japan exceeded the three million mark for the first time. Read more