What is most important for Germans on holiday in 2005

Holidays are dear to us Germans. That was once the case. The tourism industry is now also feeling the full force of the cost-cutting wave. Travel agencies and tour operators can offer beautiful holiday landscapes (61%), provide hospitality (57%) or even guarantee cosiness (55%) - when choosing a holiday destination in the 2005 travel season, Germans are increasingly looking for value for money (1999: 57% - 2005: 68%). The holiday „must“ be worth the money. This is the result of a recent representative survey by the B.A.T Freizeit-Forschungsinstitut, in which 3,000 people were asked about their personal criteria for choosing a holiday destination in 2005.
„Holidays as a quality product are now almost exclusively sold on price,“ says Professor Dr Horst W. Opaschowski, Scientific Director of the Institute. „With the shift from quality to cheap products, the philosophy of the best weeks of the year may also be lost in the long term. Price awareness threatens to replace quality awareness.“ Travel providers should and want to offer guests quality around the clock, who ultimately arrive with the feeling that they have earned this claim. However, the constant focus on price is distorting the view of what used to characterise a holiday trip, namely that it was a guarantee of a „great holiday“.
When comparing the last few years, it is noticeable that German citizens today place fewer and fewer quality demands on their holidays. They place significantly less value on cleanliness (1999: 58% - 2005: 48%) and peace and quiet on holiday (1999: 49% - 2005: 42%), no longer place such high demands on a healthy climate (1999: 61% - 2005: 52%) and even the food no longer has to be quite as good as it used to be (1999: 61% - 2005: 54%). Opaschowski: „In economically difficult times, holidays are moving closer to everyday life. After all, you have to be able to afford a holiday as an anti-everyday life and contrasting experience.“ For East Germans in particular, holidays have become a key financial issue. Significantly more East Germans (44%) than West Germans (37%) pay attention to „inexpensive“ accommodation.
Despite increasingly tight holiday budgets, women and men set very different priorities when it comes to tightening their belts. For women, „good shopping opportunities“ on holiday are still twice as important (37%) as for men (16%). Men, on the other hand, prefer to keep their money together on holiday and are more concerned about value for money (70% - women: 52%). However, both agree on one thing: a „cosy atmosphere“ is part of a holiday (53% each).
Given the demographic trend, it is remarkable that the younger and older generations are worlds apart when it comes to their own holiday aspirations. When young people up to the age of 34 choose a holiday destination, swimming in the sea or lake is at the top of the list (75% - 55plus generation: 34%). For young people, a holiday must offer one thing above all: Lots! Lots of pubs and cafés (42% - 55plus: 10%) and plenty of opportunities to socialise and meet new people (42% - 55plus: 20%). They are happy to use any (travel) means - whether it's a bus journey or a cheap flight. They don't mind the cheap image.
The demands of the older generation, which will dominate and set the tone in the future tourism market, are completely different. They set different standards: The destination must be easily accessible (41% - young generation: 33%), the climate healthy (56% - young generation: 42%) and the holiday destination quiet (49% - young generation: 28%). Opaschowski: „In future, the yuppies of yesteryear will want to have their peace and quiet, live a healthy life and enjoy a relaxing holiday, i.e. soak up the atmosphere around the clock. Pensioners will soon be trend-setters.“ With the ageing population, there will be more demand for feel-good holidays than adventure holidays in the future. Holidays as an alternative to everyday life are becoming less important. People are looking for a kind of „second home“, only much nicer than at home. What is meant is a piece of happiness.
There are many indications that holidays - at least in a transitional phase - are losing their contrasting character. If this trend continues, the most popular form of happiness may one day take place at home. An opportunity for domestic holiday providers and a challenge for local politics. Instead of holidays, they could offer „city holidays“ with the message: Soul bathing is more important than sunbathing.

Research information

Due to the numerous enquiries we have received, we can now also offer you special analyses of our representative surveys and analysis results on request.

Our current survey on the subject of „The price, the price and the price again! - What is most important for Germans on holiday in 2005“, you can request a special evaluation of the following question, broken down by the socio-demographic characteristics of gender, age, net household income, occupation and school education.

The price for this special evaluation is € 290.

Question: What is decisive for you personally when choosing a holiday destination, what is particularly important to you from the list?.

22 Statements n=3,000 Field time: 06.2005