What representatives of major tour operators say – What the figures show so far
The Greek summer remains a “German dream” and this year seems to confirm it once again.
Representatives of the largest travel agencies speak to the Athens News Agency and predict a record year for Greece, which has now established itself as a leading travel destination worldwide. Despite the difficult financial situation, Germans are investing more time and money in their holidays this year, while luxury services are gaining ground on the one hand and “all inclusive” options on the other. In addition, after three years of uncertainty, German early programming is also returning.
According to a current survey by the market research company GfK, 79% (+2 from 2023) of Germans say they will take a summer vacation, while 25% intend to spend “significantly more” on their vacation this year than in 2023. In 2024, the same research shows, reservations made at least three to four months in advance will be more than ever. Travelers who have already booked their summer holidays are 24% more than last year. “Germans want to travel and travel,” said the president of the German Association of Travel Agencies (DRV) Norbert Fiebig at the opening of the ITB International Tourism Fair which ended yesterday in Berlin.
This year’s ITB itself proves how much the interest in travel has increased: More than 100,000 visitors in three days, 5,500 exhibitors from 170 countries – among them even Iraq and Afghanistan -, 24,000 participants in panels and presentations, 3,200 accredited journalists, 300 travel bloggers and more than 80 Ministers of Tourism.
New Record for the Germans and for Greece – Resilient Rhodes
Germans have always been considered “champions” in travel. In 2023 they spent 79 billion euros on holidays of all kinds and this year it is estimated that the record will be broken. Aage Dunhaupt, TUI’s Central Region Communications Director, tells APE-MPE that for his Group in Greece, the coming summer will be the best ever. Bookings are already showing a double-digit increase from last year and Crete, a favorite destination for Germans, comes third in demand after Mallorca and Antalya.
“We continue to see a high level of willingness and expect a very strong season. Package holidays remain by far the most popular option, mainly because younger people prefer the security of their spending budget,” adds Mr Dunhaupt. The TUI executive also emphasizes that last year’s fires in Rhodes have not affected demand for the island. After all, as the German travel giant underlines, choosing the best hotels in the world at the TUI Global Hotel Awards, this year once again awarded the Lindos Blue Luxury Hotel & Suites in Vlycha of Lindos and the TUI Blue Atlantica Imperial in Kolymbia.
Michael Kunkel, head of the Greece department for the companies DERTOUR and ITS, says the same to APE-MBE: “We still have great demand for Greece for the summer of 2024 and Rhodes is no exception. It is always among the top Greek travel destinations.” Overall, according to DRV’s Norbert Fiebig, the sales share in the eastern Mediterranean will increase from 36% in 2019 to 44% this year. “Despite the extreme weather last year, there is still strong demand for both Greece and Turkey,” he commented.
In the overall ranking at the moment, the first summer holiday destination for Germans is Turkey, followed by Spain, in third place is Greece and the top five is completed by Egypt, which this year will be 10% cheaper, and Portugal. This is followed by Italy, Tunisia, Bulgaria and the United Arab Emirates, which, according to DRV, cash in on the high quality of the services provided and are now emerging as a destination for the whole year and not just for the winter months. In fact, this year they recorded the largest increase in demand of all destinations, with 47%.
For DERTOURS Greece is this year the top summer destination for short and medium distance holidays. Followed by Turkey, Spain, Tunisia and Egypt. As the representative of the company Inga Sver explains to APE-MBE, 1/3 of their customers choose a five-star hotel this year, confirming the estimates that want luxury tourism to flourish. At the same time, explains the managing director of DERTOUR International, Leif Väse Larsen, “we see that luxury can be defined in other ways as well, with holidays in nature, wellness holidays or cultural interest”. More generally, the mood for high-end personalized holidays is now becoming stronger, he adds.
After the pandemic, which, according to all tourism operators, has now ceased to be an obstacle to vacation planning, the mood for long trips is returning. Although Germans traditionally do not travel very far in the summer, this year 26% more than last year choose to do so. The top destinations in demand are the United Arab Emirates, the USA, Namibia, Japan, Sri Lanka and Australia. “Long-haul travel is coming back, but it has not yet reached its former momentum,” notes Mr. Fiebig.
Olga Kefalogianni: “Measurement and sustainability at the heart of our strategy”
This year’s ITB, which marked the dynamic return of the sector after the coronavirus pandemic, was also full of peculiarities. The need for sustainability in vacations is now being recorded more and more strongly. The Greek Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, also focused on this during her participation in the Exhibition. “We are interested in opening a new cycle in Greek tourism, with moderation, the protection of the natural and cultural environment at the core of our strategy. We invest in quality, sustainability, upgrading infrastructure and human resources,” he stressed.
The International Tourism Conference held within the framework of ITB highlighted mainly the issue of climate justice and sustainability, elements which were at the center of the presence of this year’s honored country, Oman, at ITB. It is indicative that in 2023 the sultanate welcomed 4 million tourists, 22% more than in 2022, emphasizing its climate neutrality and cultural product. “Despite the euphoria and positive predictions, ITB participants were always mindful of the enormous challenges facing the tourism industry. “Together”, which was this year’s slogan of the Exhibition, underlines the fact that only with joint actions we can face them”, said the managing director of “Messe Berlin”, organizer of ITB, Mario Tobias opening the gates of ITB.
In recent months, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has added to the conflagration in the Middle East, further increasing “sensitive” areas and insecurity. Ukraine, Israel and Palestine were nevertheless present at the Exhibition. Israel even asked for travel advisories for the country to be lifted and urged tourists to return.
Cyprus, which had Israel as the second country of origin of its visitors after Britain, will face another challenge this year after the loss of Russian tourists. Speaking to APE-MPE, the Deputy Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Cyprus, Kostas Koumis, nevertheless expressed his optimism, pointing out that the messages so far are positive. Cyprus, with a new strategy, is now trying to establish itself as a “sun and sea” destination for mountain, sports and adventure tourism opportunities.
“Present” and Artificial Intelligence
However, ITB also sealed the emergence of Artificial Intelligence at the center of interest and Tourism. Dozens of its applications were presented at the Exhibition, which mainly concerned reservations, but also the security and operation of tourist businesses. “It is now clear that no organization or company can ignore Artificial Intelligence anymore,” commented Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel, estimating that AI can help customers more than humans in planning trips. The lack of qualified personnel was also pointed out as the most important problem of the industry worldwide.
What is certain is that most of the participants in this year’s Tourism Festival in Berlin returned home with optimistic messages, after a three-year period that tested the industry as never before. Especially for Europeans, Mr. Tobias characteristically said that “neither inflation nor high energy prices seem to be curtailing demand” and with this message he set an appointment for the ITB of 2025.
