The coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, as well as concerns about climate change and inflation - all of this is leading to a fundamental fear of the future and uncertainty among the population. As a result, many German citizens view their everyday lives in a correspondingly bleak light. This is in stark contrast to holidays, which stand for light-heartedness and joy and are eagerly anticipated. When travelling, people want to enjoy life to the full and leave all the worries and stress of everyday life behind them.
Core results
- A good price-performance ratio is the most important prerequisite.
- Natural features such as a beautiful landscape, a healthy climate and bathing facilities remain important, but have lost importance in a 30-year comparison. The same applies to cleanliness and environmental friendliness.
- Good accessibility by car is becoming more important.
The travel industry is looking ahead to the 2022 travel season with a smile and a tear in its eye. On the one hand, many people want to put the hardships of the last two years of the pandemic behind them and are sitting on packed suitcases. As a result, numerous destinations in Germany and abroad are fully booked. On the other hand, more and more Germans are paying attention to their travel costs and are also saving on and during their holidays.
A good price-performance ratio is correspondingly important to the majority of German citizens. In contrast to 1992, when this requirement was only mentioned in sixth place, it currently ranks first, with personal income playing only a marginal role.
The increasing price awareness is also reflected in the importance of other holiday motives. For example, the importance of good food, visits to tourist attractions, sports or partying is decreasing compared to the previous year.
—
Clean accommodation, little rubbish on the streets or on the beach - this is how many people imagined their holiday 30 years ago. At present, these expectations are mentioned much less frequently. However, this does not necessarily indicate that these characteristics are less important; on the contrary, they are often taken for granted.
The situation is somewhat different when it comes to the importance of environmental friendliness. In 1992, one in three Germans still cited this as a prerequisite, whereas today it is only around one in ten. This shows the inner conflict of many travellers: on the one hand, they are aware of the great importance of the environmental aspect when travelling. On the other hand, however, many people switch off their environmental awareness when travelling and do not want to do without a quick journey by plane, a daily change of towels or the use of air conditioning. Also, meat consumption is often higher on holiday, waste consumption is higher and the willingness to make compensation payments is rather low.
The car is experiencing a renaissance as a means of transport. Holidays in Germany are in vogue and there are numerous reasons for this (including fear of infection with coronavirus, overcrowding at airports and train stations, greater perceived safety). As a result, more Germans want to reach their holiday destination by car. This guarantees flexibility and individuality, can be fully charged and - despite high petrol prices - is easy on the holiday budget.
Conclusion from the scientific director of the BAT Foundation for Future Studies, Professor Dr Ulrich Reinhardt: „The demands of German citizens are numerous. Above all, holidays should be worth the money and satisfy the basic motives of ‚relaxation‘ and ‚contrast to everyday life‘. The latter in particular is becoming increasingly important in what feels like an increasingly uncertain everyday life.“
He adds: „You shouldn't polarise everyday life and holidays. Everyday life is not just about creating the conditions for travelling, but can itself be full of countless highlights and special moments if you make the most of your free time, for example. No holiday is perfect, but always has its own challenges, moments of stress or conflict. It therefore makes sense not to set your expectations and expectations of your holiday too high in order to protect yourself against disappointment.“
EN 
DE