Germany Domestic Tourism Market Report 2023

The Germany Domestic Tourism Market Report 2023 identifies consumers’ attitudes towards domestic tourism in Germany, Germany travel & tourism market opportunities, and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the tourism sector in Germany. This report covers the travel in Germany market size, the travel & tourism Germany market forecast, market segmentation and Germany tourism trends for the tourism sector in Germany.

Domestic Tourism in Germany: Current Market Landscape

After COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in 2022, Germans released their pent-up demand for travelling abroad and domestically. However, with inflation-induced high cost of living, Germans experienced an income squeeze in the second half of 2022 that forced them to cut down on non-essential spending, including holidays, thus impacting the tourism sector in Germany. Mintel’s travel in Germany market research shows that value bounced back to pre-pandemic levels in 2022 as prices for holidays are rising.

In Mintel’s domestic tourism Germany report, our experts show that inflation rates are expected to remain high in 2023. While prices for consumers rise, real wages fall behind, meaning that people’s spending power is being slowly eroded. At the same time, prices for travel in Germany are rising as operational costs of hotels, restaurants or tourist attractions increase, leading consumers to think twice about whether they should go on a holiday or not.

The Domestic Tourism Industry Germany: Market Share and Germany Tourism Trends

While the number of travel & tourism Germany of domestic trips is expected to decrease further in the short-term, price inflation within the tourism sector in Germany will likely make up for the dampened demand in volume. Brands in the domestic tourism industry Germany need to position themselves as the smart choice compared to travel abroad, e.g. cheaper journey by train, to keep up sales.

However, holidays are among the top three categories Germans would still spend on even if they need to cut their overall expenses. As Germans need to think more carefully about how to spend their money in tough economic times, this presents a chance for domestic tourism in Germany to position itself as the smart and cheaper choice compared to travelling abroad. Domestic regions should, for example, promote cheaper arrival and departure by train more strongly.

• Germany Travel & Tourism Market Challenges: At 41% almost half of all Germans are considering not to take a holiday in 2023.
• Travel in Germany Market Opportunities: 50% of domestic travellers think that holidays in Germany offer more value for money than holidays abroad.
• Travel & Tourism Germany Consumer Behaviour: Over half of domestic travelers (60%) agree that the rising cost of living has made them more interested in cheaper holiday options in Germany.
• Germany Tourism Trends: The debate about sustainability is gaining momentum – 47% of domestic tourists travel within Germany to limit the carbon footprint compared to travelling abroad.

Future Germany Tourism Trends in the Germany Travel & Tourism Market

Mintel’s travel & tourism Germany market forecast predicts that once the financial pressure on consumers’ household minimises, value growth in the tourism sector in Germany is expected to speed up again, caused by increasing volume. Domestic tourism in Germany brands are well placed to leverage the growing awareness for sustainability and focus on promoting more sustainable holidays compared to travelling abroad.

Promoting train journeys also pays off in terms of sustainability, which is one major mid-term growth opportunity in the domestic tourism industry Germany. Considering consumers’ great interest in protecting the environment, brands should promote domestic holidays as a chance to limit the carbon footprint without compromising on experiences.

Read on to discover more details or take a look at all of our Holidays and Travel Market Research.

Quickly Understand

• Consumers’ participation in domestic tourism in Germany, favourite domestic destinations and types of holidays.
• Future interest in domestic tourism in Germany and frequency of future domestic holidays.
• What factors make domestic tourism more appealing?
• Behaviours of domestic travellers regarding high cost of living, sustainability and health tourism.
• Launch activity and marketing strategies for brands in the domestic tourism industry Germany.
• Market size covering consumer spend on domestic tourism and number of domestic trips taken by Germans.
• What are the short-, medium- and long-term impact of inflation on the Germany travel & tourism market?

Covered in this Report

Products: City break, beach/seaside holidays, hiking holidays, rural/countryside holidays, spa holidays, camping holidays, cycling holidays, skiing holidays, and many more.

Brands: Deutsche Bahn, Österreichische Bundesbahn, World Tourism Organisation, Greenpearls, Hamburg Tourism, Mosellandtouristik, AzubiTopHotels, Travemünde. Swabian Alb, Sauerland Tourism, Outdooractive, Komoot, and many more.

Expert Analysis from a Specialist in the Field

This report, written by Silvia Hondt, a leading analyst in the tourism sector in Germany, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends in the Germany travel & tourism market 2023, and adds expert context to the numbers.

In times of squeezed incomes, domestic tourism brands can position themselves as the smart and cheaper choice, e.g. cheaper departure and arrival by train, compared to travelling abroad.

Silvia Hondt
Research Analyst – Travel & Leisure