Current facts and figures about the 2013 travel season are now available, revealing that the German metropoles continue to be tourist magnets. The top five city destinations - Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt/Main and Cologne - were again able to attract more German and foreign guests last year. Germans also continue to spend much money on foreign travel; in 2013 expenses again amounted to about 65bn euros. Outgoing travel is still the central pillar of the German tourism industry, securing tens of thousands of jobs. As much as 30 percent of all German trips are made within Germany. The vast majority, however, namely about 70 percent, were trips to foreign destinations. Alone 35 percent of all travel accounted for trips to countries around the Mediterranean, while long-haul trips made up seven percent of the 71 million holiday trips (of a minimum period of five days).
These and other key economic data on the development of the travel industry in 2013 have been compiled by the German Travel Association (DRV) in the latest edition of their brochure "Facts and figures on the German travel market in 2013" (Fakten und Zahlen zum deutschen Reisemarkt 2013). A pdf-document in German language is available for download at www.drv.de/fachthemen/statistik-und-marktforschung/fakten-und-zahlen-zum-reisemarkt.html.
If one takes self-organized trips into account, Germany followed by Spain, Italy, Turkey and Austria are still the favourite destinations of German citizens. "Although most holidaymakers book their trips within Germany themselves, our country is one of the most important destinations in the portfolios of major tour operators", emphasizes DRV President Jürgen Büchy. The preferred means of transport for all holiday trips is still the private car, though its proportion is falling, and the plane is again gaining importance. The proportion of cars as means of transport fell from 52.5 percent (2012) to 51.3 percent (2013), whereas the plane posted an increase from 31.9 percent (2012) to 32.5 percent (2013). Interesting enough, booking in high-street travel agencies is made on average 109 days before the start of the trip, while it is only 70 days for online booking. How many hotels does Germany have, what turnover do tour operators generate, how many travel agencies do you find in Germany ? The DRV brochure provides information on all of these questions, as well as on the most popular destinations and the number of day trips.
Background information: The DRV brochure “Facts and figures about the German travel market” briefly outlines the economic significance and development of the German tourist industry. It provides data on the development of the hotel business, rail, bus, and air transport as well as cruises. Separate chapters deal both with the business travel and online travel markets in Germany. In addition, it includes figures on Germans' most favourite destinations, overnight stays of foreigners and Germans and on Germany as trade fair and conference location.