A steady annual increase of 6% in sales was recorded in the German market for organized holiday and leisure travel this summer, with Mediterranean destinations, including Greece, showing increased demand, according to the latest data published by the German Travel Association (DRV).
There was a particularly high demand for vacations in the eastern Mediterranean, including Greece and Turkey, with a 9% increase in sales. Nearly half of total summer sales now come from destinations in the eastern Mediterranean.
However, destinations in the western Mediterranean (mainly Spain) and cruises also saw a 3% increase in sales compared to the summer of 2024.
Meanwhile, due to relatively attractive prices, long-haul destinations saw a high demand in the summer of 2025, with a 6% increase in sales.
As for the total number of German travelers who booked trips through a travel agent, individually and in groups, this summer, it showed a slight increase of one percentage point compared to the same period last year, but remains 10% lower compared to the summer of 2019.
Sales record for Bulgaria
During the examination of individual travel destinations, it was found that the most economical destinations benefited the most: Bulgaria, for example, saw a 41% increase in sales during the summer. Thailand (up 18%) and Egypt (up 17%) also continued to gain popularity among travelers, with significantly lower average prices compared to destinations such as Turkey, Spain, and Greece.
Turkey, which has consistently shown high growth rates in recent years, remained in line with the market average, according to analysts from Travel Data + Analytics (TDA), recording a 6% increase in sales. The country remains the most popular summer destination for German families. However, according to official Turkish data, the number of German visitors decreased by 1.8% in the first half of this year.
The U.S., a major destination for long-distance travel for Germans – for which bookings for this summer were made mainly early last year, and even at the beginning of the year showed strong growth among, recorded a significant drop in demand in recent months. Thus, they lost almost one-fifth of their sales compared to the summer of 2024.
