Over Christmas and New Year 1988, three million fewer Germans will be traveling by road, rail, or air than in the previous year. This is the result of a recent representative survey conducted by the BAT Leisure Research Institute, in which 2,000 people aged 14 and over were asked about their travel plans for the holidays.

While in 1987 almost one in three (30 %) went on holiday or to visit relatives, this year it will only be one in four Germans (24 %).

Due to the unfavorable overlap of Sundays and public holidays, the proportion of Christmas vacationers drops from 12 to 9 percent. 1.5 million Germans limit themselves to a short break of 2 to 4 days. In addition, 2.4 million plan to travel for between five and thirteen days. And just under half a million travel enthusiasts intend to pack their bags for at least two weeks.

In 1988, as in previous years, most Germans spent the holidays with their families. 76 percent stayed at home by the Christmas tree (1987: 70 percent), and 15 percent used the days between Christmas and New Year's for several days of visiting relatives (1987: 18 percent). Two groups in particular escaped their own four walls and sought the social support of their families: singles aged 25 to 49 and couples without children (both 25 percent).