"The desire to travel - price-conscious!" is the new motto of German holidaymakers. The desire to travel remains unbroken, but when it comes to holiday spending, Germans are tightening their belts more and more. For the first time since the introduction of the euro, the BAT Leisure Research Institute has determined the actual money spent by German holidaymakers. The specific question was: "If you think about the trip and add all additional expenses (food, drink, shopping, excursions, tips, etc.) to the travel and accommodation costs, what did your last main holiday trip actually cost you on average per person?" The representative survey revealed an average value of 67 euros per day or 998 euros for an average holiday duration of 14.8 days. This is the result of the tourism analysis by the BAT Leisure Research Institute, in which a representative sample of 2,893 holidaymakers were asked what their last holiday trip actually cost them on average per person.

"When it comes to price comparisons, Germans no longer stop at holidays," says Prof. Dr Horst W. Opaschowski, Director of the Institute. "Travelling at discount prices is the order of the day. The impression is that some people are buying prices - and not holidays." Germans have discovered holidays as a savings programme: they are travelling shorter, cheaper and more spontaneously. Late bookers, budget airlines and short-break travellers are setting the tone and trend this travel season.

This is why there are also considerable differences between individual holiday destinations and population groups. One in four holidaymakers (26%) spent less than 500 euros. In contrast, one in seven holidaymakers (14%) spent three times as much, i.e. over 1,500 euros per person. A price comparison shows that, on average, Germans spend more on holiday in Bavaria (68.3 euros per day and person) and on the North Sea (66.7 euros) than on a holiday to Turkey (62.1) or Croatia/Slovenia (50.9).

There are major differences between the individual holiday destinations: A holiday to Spain (€70.9 per day) is now one of the most expensive holiday options, surpassed only by trips to Austria (72.2), Greece (72.6), Tunisia/Morocco (81.2), Egypt (84.7), Australia (91.3) and the USA (104.8). The average duration of long-distance holidays must also be taken into account: While a domestic holiday lasts just 13.2 days on average, trips to the USA last 21.6 days and trips to Australia 28.7 days.

It is also worth noting that men spend more on holiday overall (1,049 euros) than women (951 euros), West Germans more (1,017) than East Germans (928) and city dwellers (1,084) more than country dwellers (913). And compared to families with children (894 euros per person), the most expensive holidays are not taken by singles (1,133), but by double earners and childless couples (1,176 euros per person). "Alongside sunshine, beautiful scenery and local safety, the price of the trip is the most important factor in deciding on a holiday destination," says Professor Opaschowski. "Only an inexpensive holiday offer is worth a trip: it's better to take a last-minute holiday than a holiday on credit. Germans are becoming increasingly frugal with their holiday money."
Despite a temporary drop in sales as a result of the economic downturn, the war in Iraq and the SARS epidemic, the tourism industry remains a top source of income, which, according to calculations by the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), generates a good ten percent of the global gross national product of more than 40 trillion euros - more than any other industry.