German tour operators: Double-digit growth rates for luxury travellers

Luxury travel is one of the mega-trends in worldwide travel, according to the World Travel Monitor from researchers IPK International. German tour operators are profiting with double-digit growth rates for this market segment and are now responding to this rising demand with a mix of new products and offers.

“Luxury (travel) is going really well,” says Matthias Rotter, head of DER Touristik Frankfurt, whose Dertour Deluxe programme is generating “extremely satisfactory double-digit growth”. Similar sales trends are being seen by TUI’s Airtours, specialist Windrose Finest Travel and FTI Gold.

Private accommodation

“The number of travellers who have moved into the luxury segment is rising,” explains Astrid Oberhummer, head of the Lobster Group, which organises the luxury travel fair Loop in Frankfurt. These include dual-earners with no children and the young, technology-focused generation whose priorities are changing compared to older travellers.

“Luxury consumption is being re-defined and is changing from products to experiences,” she points out. In the travel business, this means customers don’t just want expensive accommodation and services but want to really experience the destination. “ Hotels are becoming more individual, have the charm of private accommodation, and their bars are meeting-places for local people who mix with the guests,” she comments.

Individual moments

Ute Dallmeier, head of Windrose, agrees. “The true luxury segment is going much more towards luxury experiences, from ‘having’ to ‘being’,” she explains. Travellers want to enjoy unique individual moments, which could be participating in exclusive events, for example. Susanne Singer, from Gernreisen in Munich, confirms the trend: “Combinations of individual experiences with stays in luxury hotels are especially popular.”

Privacy is also a top priority, according to Airtours, in the form of “isolated refuges with a high degree of privacy” or large suites with extensive terraces and private pools. Dertour Deluxe product manager Enrica Arend adds: “We are getting more and more enquiries about large suites or villas. Partly because privacy is really important for travellers and partly because there’s a strong trend towards multi-generation bookings.”

Trend destinations

Another trend, Singer says, is to be deliberately ‘offline’ by booking hotels or travelling to regions where there is no internet or even TV.

Short-haul trend destinations for luxury holidays include Majorca and Croatia as well as the Spanish mainland and Italy, according to German tour operators. In the long-haul market, the Maldives and Mauritius remain top destinations, Thailand and Sri Lanka are making a strong comeback but demand for Dubai has declined.

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