Following the good performance of early bookings in autumn 2023, DER Touristik reports an impressive 47% increase in bookings for the 2024 summer season compared to the previous year, and an equally impressive 33% increase in customer numbers. In this context, high demand is being recorded for Greece, Turkey and Spain.
The summer destinations with the most bookings for Europe’s second largest travel group are not surprising, with Turkey, Spain and Greece in the top three destinations, and Turkey showing the strongest growth.
“We see that demand continues to grow. Travel will remain a priority in 2024,” said Ingo Burmester, head of DER Touristik Central Europe.
According to him, the trend for higher value holidays and the increase in travel to long-haul destinations is also continuing. At the same time, he said, there is a “return to early bookings”. “Thus, travellers are thus securing early booking discounts of up to 60%,” Burmester said.
Package holidays acquire a personalised “character”
According to the head of DER Touristik, another trend in summer holidays is that they are becoming more and more personalised. “For example, there is growing interest in return trips, outdoor activities and glamping, as well as trips to the Nordic countries,” said Burmester.
DER Touristik, he said, is responding to this trend by providing an expanding offering in the special travel sector. In addition, long-haul travel specialist Meiers Weltreisen will be repositioned in the market with additional services and authentic round-trip experiences.
Price increases in the “mid” single digits
In terms of prices, Burmester refers to “low price increases in the mid-single digits.” According to him, the overall price increase will lead many customers to consciously seek out holidays that offer particularly good value for money. This can be seen, for example, in the “positive booking trend” in countries such as Turkey and Tunisia. Therefore, cheap holidays to summer destinations abroad will still be available in the summer of 2024.
