DW | Germans travel more than ever

Despite the economic crisis, holidays remain "sacred" for Germans. Experts note that the first data for the summer season are extremely optimistic. Read the DW report...
Germans are traveling more than ever, but they are also spending more on their holidays. This is according to the first estimates of the German Association of Tourist Offices (DRV) for the new season, which were announced on the sidelines of the International Tourism Fair in Berlin (ITB).

Specifically, as reported by the president of the association, Norbert Fiebig, the number of German tourists for the period May-October 2025 appears to have increased by 6%, while tourism turnover is increasing by 12%.

“Despite the economic difficulties and geopolitical challenges of the time,” Fibich tells the German News Agency (dpa), “Germans continue to travel. Vacations are the last thing they would want to do without.” According to data analyzed by the YouGov Institute on behalf of the DRV, Germans already spent more money than ever in 2024, while a new record is expected for 2025. Increased demand is evident this summer, especially for all-inclusive trips to the Eastern Mediterranean and cruises as well as for long-distance, exotic trips.

Turkey, Spain, Greece at the top

According to another survey published on the sidelines of the ITB, 75% of Germans definitely want to go on vacation this summer, while only 8% have already decided not to, mainly due to financial difficulties. On average, a German spends 7.2% of his annual income on vacation. However, at the lowest incomes (i.e., salaries below 2,500 euros per month), the expenditure rises to 8.3% of annual income.

For all-inclusive trips, the top destinations this year remain Turkey and Spain (with a turnover of 1.2 billion euros), while Greece is in third place (turnover of 1 billion euros). However, the top ten also includes several economic destinations, such as Tunisia, Bulgaria and Egypt. “Of course, economic difficulties can influence the choice of destination,” emphasizes the head of the DRV. A TUI spokesperson told the newspaper General-Anzeiger that “this summer, both Greece and Turkey will be expecting over a million German tourists,” while among the Greek islands he mentions mainly Crete, Rhodes, Corfu and Zakynthos.

If we take into account all forms of tourism, however, the most popular destination this year remains Germany itself. 24% of German tourists vacation in their own country. Most prefer the Baltic Sea beaches in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein, as well as the lush, alpine landscapes of Bavaria.

Albania is constantly on the rise

The surprise of the tourist summer is probably Albania, the honored country of the ITB exhibition for 2025, which is expected to record a turnover increase of 36% this year! The truth is of course, that the first estimates of the DRV cannot yet give a complete picture of this season, as they are based on reservations that had been made until the end of January, without even including reservations via Booking and Airbnb.

However, emphasizes the president of the association Norbert Fibich, these figures are not negligible, as more and more Germans are now returning to the logic of "booking early". In other words, "early booking is the new last minute".

Source: DW

Yiannis Papadimitriou
Yiannis Papadimitriou, Lawyer and journalist

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