93% of financially healthy Germans plan to travel in the 12 months following October 2024. While this declines to 69% of financially struggling Germans, travelling remains a high priority, even among those with small budgets, highlighting that brands can engage travellers across financial situations.
As inflation stabilises, financially healthy travellers are set to increase travel spending, with 43% planning to spend more on holidays in the 12 months following October 2024 compared to the previous year (vs 18% of those struggling). This will drive demand for premium vacations, like holidays outside Europe. However, brands will also need to continue to support less-affluent travellers to take a break in challenging times with affordable wellness options.
Global warming is reshaping tourism as heatwaves, wildfires and floods impact popular destinations. This boosts interest in colder locations and pushes tourism brands to adopt CO2-reducing technologies like e-mobility and Sustainable Aviation Fuel, while promoting eco-friendly options like train travel.
Germans seek diverse travel options, from home swapping to solo trips and workations, which brands can cater to by providing holidays beyond traditional offers. Longer-term, AI can be expected to change holiday planning and booking, calling for brands to stay ahead of AI advancements.
This report looks at the following areas:
- The short-, medium- and long-term impact of inflation on the holiday market.
- Participation in travelling with a focus on consumers in different financial situations and trending destinations.
- Accommodations and transportation options used, and how brands can promote options beyond traditional holiday offers such as train travel, workations or alternative lodging (eg glamping, home swapping).
- Reasons for travelling, including differences among demographics.
- Behaviours towards travel trends, emphasising Artificial Intelligence and solo holidays.
With slowing inflation, Germans are eager to spend on travel. Brands can tap into diverse holiday options like solo trips, workations or unique lodging (eg glamping) to attract a broad audience.
Silvia Hondt, Senior Research Analyst
Collapse All
-
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- The five-year outlook for travel trends
- Market context
- Inflation will continue to influence holiday spending in 2025
- Eco-friendly travel options are needed
- Digital revolution
- Opportunities
- Engage consumers across financial situations
- Support travellers to change travel habits in times of global warming
- Tap into diversifying holiday interests
- Harness the power of AI
-
MARKET DRIVERS
- The German economy
- 2024 remains challenging
- Graph 1: key economic data, in real terms, 2019-25
- The inflation rate is bouncing back to more conventional levels
- Inflation is still the key factor affecting consumers’ finances…
- …confidence and expenditure
- Graph 2: financial confidence index, 2022-24
- The impact of the economy on holidays
- Consumers are experiencing ongoing higher prices for holidays
- Graph 3: higher prices for holidays faced in the last two months, 2024
- High cost of living impacted holiday expenditure in 2024
- Graph 4: spending on vacations/holidays in the past 12 months, by financial situation*, 2024
- Positive outlook for future spending
- Graph 5: changing holiday behaviour in the next 12 months compared to the last 12 months – cost, 2024
- Travel brands need to continue to cater to different financial situations
- Sustainability
- Global warming as a threat to the tourism industry
- Encourage sustainable behaviour
- Graph 6: trying to act in a way that is not harmful to the environment, 2023, 2024
- Reward schemes as incentive to foster eco-friendly behaviour
- Technology
- Watch the AI space
- Graph 7: usage of generative AI, by generation, 2023, 2024
- AI can be expected to impact holiday planning and booking
- Working life
- Bleisure and workation as additional travel
-
WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Destinations visited and future plans
- Elevate Germans’ appetite for travel in tough times
- Cater to growing holiday demand across financial demographics
- Graph 8: taken and planned holidays, by financial situation, 2024
- Provide holiday options for different financial demographics
- Younger generations are the most engaged travellers…
- Graph 9: destinations visited in the last 12 months, by generations, 2024
- …but brands can tap into opportunities to target Baby Boomers
- Graph 10: planned holiday destinations in the next 12 months, by generation, 2024
- Tap into the nostalgic feeling of la dolce vita
- Domestic brands: step up efforts to keep consumers engaged
- Increasing demand for travelling out of Europe
- Offer trending destinations to travellers
- Support frequent travellers with alternative holidaying options
- Graph 11: number of holidays taken in the last 12 months, 2024
- Holiday accommodations
- Tap into the broad variety of accommodation types
- Graph 12: type of accommodation stayed in in the last 12 months, 2024
- Create awareness of independent hotels among Gen Z…
- …with a stronger focus on social media
- Find ways to target travellers staying in holiday homes
- Accommodation brands: tap into alternative lodging forms
- Holiday transportations
- Transportation fuels holiday CO2 emissions
- Graph 13: transportation used to travel to holiday destinations in the last 12 months, 2024
- Provide electric cars to make car rentals more eco-friendly
- Graph 14: reasons for travelling by car, 2023
- Promote using public transport options more strongly
- Balance eco-friendly flight with value for money
- Reasons to travel
- Relaxation is top of mind
- Graph 15: reasons to plan to take a holiday in the next 12 months – NET, 2024
- Embrace the needs of consumers in different financial situations
- Promote multi-generational trips with outdoor experiences
- Offer alternative package holidays
- Behaviours towards holidays
- Embrace the diversification of the travel market
- Graph 16: behaviours towards holidays, 2024
- Cater to the needs of solo travellers
- Leverage AI to make holiday planning and booking more efficient
- Graph 17: use of artificial intelligence (AI) to plan/book a holiday, by generation, 2024
- Tap into AI…
- …and leverage cost-saving to get Germans on-board
- Graph 18: considerable use cases for AI when planning/booking a holiday, 2024
-
LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
- AI is driving new launches
- SMILE24 as a model for public transport in rural regions
- Advertising and marketing activity
- TUI promotes long-distance holidays
- Airbnb competes with hotels
- Eurowings promotes optional high quality features
-
APPENDIX
- Appendix – products covered, abbreviations, consumer research methodology and language usage
- Products covered in this Report
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- A note on language
Market Intelligence Made Easier With Mintel
The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:
- Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
- Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
- Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
- Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.
What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?
Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.
The Four Pillars of Our Research
We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:
- Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
- Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
- Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
- Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.
Bringing It All Together
Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.
Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.
£ 2,195 (Excl.Tax)
-
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or invoice (net 30 payment terms)
-
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF, Powerpoint and Excel Databook straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
-
Interactive databook included
Focus on the data that matters most to you with a customisable databook available on our platform
-
Save up to 20% when you purchase multiple reports
Discount automatically applied in basket
Get in Touch
If you have a question about a Mintel Report, or you would like to learn more about our products, get in touch with a member of our team today.
Contact usTrusted by global industry leaders
When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.
They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.
So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.
Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
We use Mintel to inform our thinking and reinforce strategy. If you’re presenting new ideas, it’s essential they are underpinned by robust data and evidence, and clearly rooted in fact.
Mintel gives us all that. It’s a great brand and one that is trusted by clients.
Marie Stafford, European Director, The Innovation Group, VML
We utilize Mintel Reports, Trends and Comperemedia to mine for insights across the numerous business verticals that Epsilon serves, such as CPG, automotive, telecom, healthcare/pharma, retail and financial services.
By integrating Mintel insight into new business opportunities, we have been able to gain the competitive edge necessary to advance partnerships with global brands and key business players.
For our organization, it’s about depth and breadth. Having one without the other doesn’t enable success in our business.
Virginia Harvey, Secondary Research Manager, Epsilon
At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.
Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.
Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.
Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
Get in Touch
If you have a question about a Mintel Report, or you would like to learn more about our products, get in touch with a member of our team today.
Contact us
