The tourism industry in Germany is booming: what are the forecasts

The German economy is stalling, but tourism spending is breaking all records. The demand for vacation abroad is growing.

After last year's technical recession, the German economy is still stalling, but there is an industry in Germany whose representatives, judging by their statements, are very satisfied with the current state of affairs. This is the tourism industry. The largest country in the European Union is once again experiencing a tourist boom, DW writes.

Records

The year 2023 was a record year, in terms of money spent anyway: German residents spent almost 87 billion euros on trips of five or more days - seven billion more than the previous year, FUR calculated. This was, on the one hand, due to rising prices for travel and transportation services in the face of extremely high inflation, but, on the other hand, it was a reflection of the Germans' willingness to spend more money on what they like to say are the most beautiful weeks of the year. Sonntag confirms that in Germany they would rather save for something else than a vacation.

To these 87 billion euros should be added another 27 billion euros that Germans spent last year on short trips lasting two to four days. This is usually urban tourism - visits mainly to German cities (the middle of the country accounts for about ten trips) to see certain attractions and participate in cultural events.

Early booking

A survey conducted by the market research company GfK has shown that every fourth German (25 percent) is ready to spend more or significantly more on vacation this year than last year. In a survey conducted by the FUR think tank, 15 percent said they were ready to increase spending, while another 43 percent plan to spend at last year's level, a record for the industry. So, more than half of the respondents at least do not want to cut spending on leisure, with only 7 percent expressing such an intention. The rest, about a third, have no plans yet, so the ranks of those who are not willing to save money may grow.

Leaders in booking

According to the FUR analytical center, in 2023, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Croatia, and Greece became the most popular outbound tourism destinations in Germany. Judging by the early bookings for this year, the group of leaders has remained stable - it is mainly the south of Europe, but there have been some reshuffles in Europe. According to DRV, Turkey, Spain, and Greece are still leading the pack ahead of Egypt, Portugal, and Italy.

As TravelWise reported, Germany expects an influx of tourists from all over the world this summer.