One in two vacationers today confidently proclaims: "I have high expectations for my vacation." They no longer want to settle for the ordinary during the best weeks of the year. At the beginning of the year, the BAT Leisure Research Institute surveyed 1,775 German citizens about their personal evaluation of vacation destinations they knew from their own experience.

Holiday satisfaction is influenced by many factors: prices and accommodation, food and service all play a role, as do cleanliness and safety, and of course the weather, which in many cases is the number one mood killer. Germans are correspondingly critical in their assessments. Most complaints about weather and prices come from holidaymakers in Northern Germany and Scandinavia, while accommodation, cleanliness, and overcrowding in holiday resorts in Mediterranean countries receive the most criticism.

According to BAT leisure researchers, the quality ratings given by vacationers reflect more than just the actual conditions on site. The satisfaction scale also indicates the extent to which individual holiday regions have succeeded in aligning vacationers' expectations with the reality of what they offer. Where only sunshine and blue skies are expected, even a single cloud can dampen the vacation mood. For example, one in seven travelers to Italy returned home disappointed by the weather last season.

„"Vacations aren't just about fulfilling dreams; often, expectations are simply too high," says Prof. Dr. Horst W. Opaschowski, head of the BAT Institute. Therefore, his most important advice is: those who protect themselves from exaggerated expectations can only be pleasantly disappointed. The world of travel brochures should awaken hopes, but not illusions.