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CURRENT MAJOR TOPICS WITHIN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THE DACH REGION

• German holidaymakers covered 121 billion kilometers: The study by the Forschungsgemeinschaft Urlaub und Reisen (FUR) shows that the travel behavior of Germans has almost returned to pre-corona levels. In 2023, German holidaymakers covered 121 billion kilometers for longer trips (five days or more), an increase of 11 billion kilometers compared to 2022. At the same time, shorter trips (two to four days) have reached 34 billion kilometers, which also shows a recovery. Despite this return to high travel values, there are no signs of a fundamental shift towards more sustainable vacation travel. Demand for long trips fell slightly due to higher prices, but short breaks continued to recover. The “kilometers per travel day” indicator rose to 143 kilometers, even exceeding the 2019 figure. Air travel has also returned to the 2019 level, which is rated negatively from an environmental perspective. Sustainability therefore does not yet appear to be a priority in the travel habits of Germans. Read more
• Germans book autumn vacations in high numbers: In August 2024, Germans recorded high demand for last-minute autumn vacations for September and October. According to Travel Data + Analytics (TDA), fall travel accounted for 43% of monthly sales, while last-minute bookings accounted for 14%. The picture for the winter season is also positive, with a 21% increase in bookings and 17% more people booked compared to the previous year. Cruises in particular stand out, recording a 28% increase in sales, making them the fastest-growing form of travel at present. The 2024 summer season closed with an overall increase in sales of 10 %, although bookings fell slightly in August (-2 %). In contrast, a 4% increase in sales was recorded for winter. Long-distance travel is becoming increasingly popular and recorded 14% more sales than in the previous year, with the Canary Islands remaining the most popular destination, followed by Egypt and Turkey. The Canary Islands achieved a 32% share of sales in the winter season. The sharp rise in early bookings for summer 2025, which increased from 7% in the previous month to 16%, is noteworthy, indicating that German citizens are more confident about planning for the coming year and are keen to travel. Read more
• Dertour: New Asia highlights in winter: Dertour has greatly expanded its Asia offer for the coming winter, particularly due to the increasing demand for Japan, which is becoming a trend destination with Expo 2025. A total of 13 trips to Japan are on offer, including six new tours. One of the highlights is the ten-day trip “Japan to the World Expo”, which includes both Expo 2025 and Tokyo. Also new to the program are country combinations such as “Discover Taiwan and Japan” (13 days) and “Discover Japan and South Korea”, which include the most important sights of both countries. Hong Kong is also returning to Dertour's winter program, as are extended round trips to countries such as China, India, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Thanks to new Condor flights to Thailand (Frankfurt-Bangkok and Frankfurt-Phuket), the Thailand program has also been expanded. This includes new hotels such as the Tinidee Trendy Bangkok on Khao San Road, the Grand Mercure Patong on Phuket and the renovated Sentido Khao Lak. With these new additions, Dertour is responding to the growing interest in travel to Asia and offering a wide range of options for culture and adventure lovers in winter 2024/2025. Read more
• Hotelplan names the top, trend and local destinations in fall and winter: Hotelplan Suisse has announced the most popular destinations among the Swiss for fall and winter 2024/2025. In the fall, Cyprus, Mallorca and Tunisia, especially the island of Djerba, are among the most popular destinations. Cyprus attracts visitors with an extended bathing season, Mallorca with its proximity and diverse nature, and Djerba is particularly popular with price-conscious travelers. The Maldives remain the top long-haul destination for the winter, while Fuerteventura is recording significantly more bookings among the Canary Islands. Thailand is also experiencing a strong return, especially the Khao Lak region. There is also a clear trend towards individual experiences and tailor-made package tours. Adventure trips, particularly to Australia and Namibia, are in high demand. Chile is considered an insider tip for Swiss travelers looking for authentic nature experiences away from the large tourist crowds. Hotelplan Suisse emphasizes the growing desire for unique experiences and personal service, which is driving the trend towards adventure travel. Read more

CURRENT TOPICS WITHIN THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY IN GERMANY & EUROPE

• War in the Middle East forces airlines to take detours: The escalation of the war in the Middle East is having a serious impact on international air traffic. Yesterday, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon closed their airspace, which meant that Lufthansa flights to Asia had to be diverted. In particular, flights to Mumbai, Hyderabad and Dubai were diverted as Iran's missile attack on Israel significantly aggravated the security situation. Lufthansa announced that it would avoid the airspace over Iran, Iraq and Jordan for the time being, resulting in longer flight times. A look at the Flightradar24 platform shows that some airlines, such as Emirates, are flying over Iranian airspace again, while most other airlines have to take detours via Egypt and Saudi Arabia on their route from Western Europe to the Gulf and India. This indicates that the situation remains dynamic and airlines are adapting their routes to ensure passenger safety. Read more
• Oktoberfest rush causes chaos at Munich Airport: Chaotic conditions at Munich airport: Yesterday, some passengers had to wait two and a half hours before going through security. A queue of thousands of people stretched for miles in and in front of Terminal 2. The airport asked for patience on X: “During the Oktoberfest period, we have 1,000 flights and over 130,000 passengers every day.” On Thursday, there were an additional 10,000 passengers due to the long weekend. Read more

DESTINATION NEWS

• MALLORCA: Mallorca's Prime Minister wants to increase the tourist tax in the summer months. The measure serves “as a deterrent” to reduce the number of holidaymakers in the high season, according to the politician. In return, the tax is to be reduced in the winter months. The amount of the tax is to be decided in February. Read more
• IBIZA: The number of cruise ships allowed to dock in the old town port of Vila at the same time will be limited to a maximum of two. This decision was taken by Ibiza Town Council and the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands. However, the regulation will only apply from 2026. Discussions are already underway with the cruise companies, which plan their routes well in advance. The Balearic Parliament had previously approved a proposal to this effect. Read more
• THAILAND and NAMIBIA: From December 1, 2024, travelers to Thailand must apply for a free Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which applies to anyone who does not require a visa, including German nationals. For Cambodia, the “Cambodia e-Arrival Card” has been required since July 1, 2024, which must be completed within seven days prior to arrival. A visa is also required for entry. From April 1, 2025, German nationals will require a visa for Namibia, as the regulation states that nationals of countries without visa-free entry must also apply for a visa. This e-visa costs around 80 euros. For Zanzibar, travel insurance will be mandatory from October 1, 2024, which must be taken out with the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC) and costs 44 US dollars. Bhutan has abolished the travel health insurance requirement, which means that it is no longer required for entry. From April 2, 2025, travelers from Europe will require a digital travel authorization (ETA) for entry into Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which can be applied for from March 5. Travelers should inform themselves in advance about the current travel and security advice from the Federal Foreign Office in order to stay up to date on the latest entry conditions. Read more
• SPAIN: Spain set a new record for passenger numbers in August 2024, with over 32 million passengers. This represents a significant increase of 7.4 percent compared to the previous year. The state-owned airport operator Aena reported a total of 32,116,068 passengers and 254,137 flight movements for the month, an increase of 7.7% compared to 2023. Of the passengers, 22,561,824 traveled on international flights, an increase of 9.6 percent, while 9,483,480 passengers flew on domestic routes, an increase of 2.7 percent. For the entire summer from June to August, Spanish airports counted almost 93.5 million passengers, and from January to August over 208 million. This positive trend shows the continuing recovery of travel in Spain. Read more

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