Germans Increase Travel Abroad Despite Pandemic
In a surprising turn of events, Germans have taken more vacations abroad in 2023 than before the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data released by the Federal Statistical Office, Germans booked a total of 102 million foreign trips last year, marking an 18 percent increase from 2022 and a three percent increase from the precrisis year of 2019. While domestic trips also saw a rise of ten percent compared to the previous year, totaling 149 million trips, they still remained eight percent below the precrisis level.
Overall, travelers from Germany embarked on 251 million private and business trips with at least one overnight stay either within Germany or abroad in 2023. This figure represented a 13 percent increase from the previous year but was four percent lower than in 2019.
The top destinations for trips abroad in 2023 remained consistent, with Austria and Italy each accounting for 12 percent of trips, followed by Spain (10 percent), the Netherlands (7 percent), and France (7 percent). These countries have consistently been the most popular choices for German travelers, both during and after the pandemic, albeit with some variations in ranking.
Private trips made up the majority of the travel volume, with 216 million such trips taken in 2023. This marked a 13 percent increase from 2022 and was only one percent less than in 2019. On the other hand, business trips experienced a 14 percent uptick from the previous year, totaling 34 million trips. Despite this increase, business travel was still 16 percent lower than in 2019, indicating a rising preference for virtual meetings even post-pandemic.
When it came to transportation, Germans showed a greater inclination towards train travel and a decreased reliance on cars. Although cars remained the most commonly used mode of transport at 58 percent, the share of air travel saw a slight uptick, reaching 16 percent in 2023 compared to 15 percent in 2022. This rise signifies a return to almost pre-COVID levels, with air travel constituting 17 percent before the pandemic.
Train travel also saw an increase, accounting for 19 percent of trips in 2023, up from 16 percent in 2019. Other modes of transport, including ships and coaches, maintained a consistent share of six percent last year.
Looking ahead, it is predicted that two dominant providers will emerge in the German tourism market, reflecting the evolving landscape of travel preferences and habits among Germans.
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