Sales of tours in Germany grew this year, but did not reach the pre-Covid 2019 level. There was also no rush demand for those who want to escape from winter to warmer climes due to “economic circumstances” and the energy crisis.
The exact figures are as follows: in October, the total sales of travel services in Germany reached 82.2% compared to the same month in 2019; The cruise industry rebounded the most, with sales reaching 96% here, with air ticket refunds slightly lower at 77.5% of 2019 levels.
In total, for the 10-month period from January to October 2022, sales lagged behind the same period in 2019 by 24.8% in total; while sales of travel services were less than 22.7%, sales of cruises – 26.4%, and sales of air tickets lost 29.2%. By the last year, however, there has been an increase – the total volume by 39.3%, and cruise sales increased by 86.2%.
Recall that with regard to the general forecast for the next year, two trends are “fighting”, optimistic and pessimistic. The booking situation for 2023 is positive so far, however, it is likely that “2023 will be much more challenging than 2022.” It all depends on the economic situation and global uncertainty, which makes it difficult to make more accurate forecasts. With this forecast, Sebastian Ebel, CEO of TUI Group, frightened travel agencies and tourists, speaking at the World Travel Market (WTM) exhibition. “The booking situation for summer 2023 is positive so far, but there are reasonable concerns about how the economy will develop,” he said. The first and already noticeable “trend” is the reduction of booking time. In general, it is extremely difficult to make forecasts now, Mr. Ebel added. Read more at this link.
Meanwhile, the pessimists are “taking over” within Germany itself. According to a survey conducted by the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA Bundesverband), all indicators in the German hospitality sector have “drastically worsened” compared to August. In general, the essence of their assessment of the current situation and the immediate prospects is as follows: either they will somehow be able to ensure energy supply and an early decline in energy prices, or hotels and restaurants will have to prepare for mass closures. “Due to a sharp increase in costs and a decrease in sales, 66.1% of enterprises again fear for their existence, especially due to high energy prices. Compared to August, there are almost 30 percentage points more companies with existential fears, a month ago this figure was 37.7%. Almost every third company or 29.6% is afraid to go negative in 2022, by 2023 more than every second company 53.5% predicts such risks,” the report says.
For those For those who care about a healthy lifestyle, we recommend reading: “Scientists have found that beer can help prevent deadly brain diseases.”