Travel is and remains the most popular form of happiness. Germans work, save, and live almost all year long for their own vacation. But what are the specific destinations Germans long for? Which vacation paradise would they like to visit in the future? The South Pacific? Australia? Or perhaps the USA? The result is surprising: Germans are not particularly interested in far-flung destinations and want to continue spending their vacations where they already feel most at home: in Germany. One in four respondents (25%) would like to spend their vacation between the North Sea and the Alps in the coming decade. This is according to a representative survey conducted by the BAT Foundation for Future Issues, in which 4,000 Germans were asked where they would like to travel in the next ten years.
The two currently most popular foreign travel destinations follow in the rankings: Spain (20%) and Italy (17%). The USA and Canada only come in fourth place (14%). In contrast, seemingly dream destinations in the South Pacific or the Indian Ocean – from Tahiti to the Maldives – are only worth a trip for a minority of Germans in the future. "Germans take a sober and pragmatic view of the future and name destinations that are affordable and therefore feasible. But the advantages of distant and expensive destinations are no longer apparent to many. Neither the natural resources such as sun, beach, or sea, nor the intangible ones such as hospitality and services are better or so much more appealing in long-haul destinations that a long journey to these countries is absolutely necessary in the future," says Scientific Director Professor Dr. Ulrich Reinhardt. He concludes: "You can experience a dream vacation anywhere.".

North Sea or North America
Differences according to life phases

Significant differences emerge across life stages: Young adults, singles, and couples are enthusiastic about overseas destinations in North America and the Caribbean. Families, young retirees, and pensioners, on the other hand, tend to prefer domestic destinations. Here, seaside resorts are considerably more popular than mountain destinations. The differences between income groups also remain substantial: While lower-income earners dream of Spanish, Italian, and German destinations, higher-income earners cite North America, the Caribbean, and Australia as their top choices.
Reinhardt: „If you can dream it, you can do it – that’s a principle of the American experiential philosophy. This motto was also paramount for a long time when planning individual dream vacations. Currently, however, financial resources are the primary focus for travelers. Therefore, the motto for the future is: If you can pay for it, you can do it.“.

Desired goals for the next ten years, categorized by life stage:

	Under 25 years old. 14-24 years	Singles 25-49 years	Couples 25-49 years	Families 25-49 years	Junior. 50-64 years	Retired. Ages 65 and up
1	Spain	North America	Caribbean	Spain	Northern Germany.	Northern Germany.
2	North America	Spain	Spain	Italy	Scandinavian.	Southern German.
3	Caribbean	Italy	North America	Northern Germany.	Italy	Austria
4	Greeks	Caribbean	Italy	Greek.	Spain	Scandinavian.
5	Australia, New Zealand.	Greek.	Greek.	Scandinavian.	Austria	Italy

From March 9th, the magazine "Urlaubslust. Tourismusanalyse 2011" (Holiday Desire. Tourism Analysis 2011) from the Foundation for Future Issues will be available at train station and airport kiosks. In 100 pages, it answers the core questions of the industry: "Who travels, where, for how long, and at what price?" and provides an outlook on the 2011 travel year. Additional focus areas include "Trend Destinations of the Next Ten Years," "Holiday Decision Criteria," "Travel and Spirituality," and the impact of the unrest in North Africa. For the first time, the results of a European tourism analysis are also presented, for which 10,000 Europeans in nine countries (Denmark, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Russia, and Spain) were surveyed about their travel behavior. Happy reading!