New research examines Germany’s travel habits. In early 2021, the coronavirus pandemic, lockdown measures, and the ongoing discussion over how to appropriately address recent events remain ubiquitous.
According to ITB Berlin NOW and Statista, the tourism sector is expected to boom following the pandemic.
For years, travel companies and new technology have thrived, and current trends continue to emerge.
According to data from Statista’s Global Consumer Survey (GCS), one of the largest consumer surveys in the world, German tastes for popular vacation kinds have remained rather consistent during the crisis. Thus, in 2018, more than half of German people between the ages of 18 and 64 indicated a preference for beach vacations, which emerged as the clear victor among the various forms of vacation. Visits to family and friends, weekend getaways, and all-inclusive resort stays were ranked second, third, and fourth, respectively. By 2020, all holiday statistics will have decreased significantly, as will tourism revenue.
What’s intriguing is that, while popularity rankings have stayed steady in the majority of situations, vacationing in mountain and lake regions, as well as natural experiences and outdoor activities, as well as the time-honored camping vacation, have increased in popularity (mountains and lakes from sixth to fifth place, camping holidays from ninth to seventh). Typically associated with city tourism, such as sightseeing and shopping excursions, have declined in popularity (sightseeing from fifth to sixth, shopping trips from seventh to eighth). In 2020, beach vacations were definitely the most popular.
The trend in Germany toward nature-based vacations, which has accelerated in the aftermath of the coronavirus epidemic, is mirrored in relatively frequent Google searches for certain key phrases. Summer 2020 searches for ‘hiking’ and ‘cycling trips’ were much more prevalent than in 2019. This trend toward nature-based vacations is also supported by page views on Germany’s most popular outdoor activity websites, which likewise saw a significant rise in visitors in 2020. For example, Komoot, a German website for outdoor activity planning, received 8.5 million hits in July 2020, compared to less than half (about four million) in July 2019.
Sustainable travel is becoming a growing concern for the tourist sector.
According to data from Rascasse GmbH, an AI-powered platform that provides insights into consumer behavior, more than two million Germans are interested in hiking, with close to 58% of women and 42% of men having an average age of approximately 32. This demographic takes environmental stewardship and climate change extremely seriously. Hiking appears to be very popular in southern Germany. What’s noteworthy is that the region with the highest level of interest in sustainable travel is also the region with the lowest level of interest. In general, sustainable travel looks to be a growing focus for the tourist sector. Rascasse now estimates a target audience of around 3.1 million Germans, roughly double the number in 2018. Along with outdoor activities, they like sustainable fashion, fashion blogs, and the social networking site Instagram.
Additionally, the GCS findings corroborate the shift toward sustainable tourism. Since 2018, the number of respondents who agree with the statement “Sustainability is a critical component of my travel experience” has increased from 10.8 to 17.8 percent. Additionally, 39.1 percent of individuals surveyed in 2020 stated that they used their smartphone as a travel guide while on vacation, up from 26.6 percent in 2018. Additionally, the GCS reports that low prices have been an increasingly crucial factor in vacation selection. In 2020, 35% of those questioned agreed with the statement “I always search for the best deal while traveling,” up from just under 29% in 2018.
Businesses are capitalizing on current trends – the 2010s saw a dramatic surge in startups focused on sustainable tourism, bespoke travel, and virtual reality.
These and other trends are also frequently explored by startups and are affected by new products in the tourist sector. The decade of the 2010s saw a massive increase in startup activity, particularly in specific sectors. Between 2000 and 2009, the tourist sector saw the establishment of 38 new businesses dedicated to sustainable travel. The number was 175 between 2010 and 2019. The bespoke travel and virtual reality industries have witnessed a similar rise in startup activity. In the 2000s, there were 48 and 11 new firms, respectively, compared to 336 and 139 in the 2010s. Experts believe that a further increase this decade is probable.