Even sharply rising prices can hardly keep Germans from going on winter holidays. 59 percent of them want to travel in the first quarter of this year. Specifically, 23 percent are drawn to other countries. This is the result of the 3rd “International Travel Confidence Index” compiled by the French opinion research institute Opinion-Way for Allianz Partners in Germany. 1,039 people in Germany took part.
On average, travelers from Germany budget 1,684 euros for their trip. That is only slightly more than the average travel budget in summer 2022 (1,680 euros).
Nevertheless, the sharp rise in prices is leaving its mark on travel plans. Almost every second respondent expects to change the destination, shorten the trip or even cancel it completely for cost reasons. And those who don’t want to travel in the first place often do so because they don’t have enough money (51 percent) or because winter holidays aren’t important (56 percent).
Stefan Kirchner, Head of Tourism Sales at Allianz Partners Germany, sees this as a potential problem for tourism: “The rising prices have sharpened the dividing line between those who can afford to travel and those who cannot. While many remain willing and able to spend money on leisure travel, others will feel the private economic pressures much more. This can become a challenge for the tourism industry if this extends beyond the summer travel season.”
However, there are hardly any health problems. For only 2 percent, health concerns are a reason not to travel. However, 42 percent are still “somewhat worried” about the health situation. But that is 5 percentage points less than in summer 2022.
Which is why the topic of travel insurance is not entirely unimportant. More than every second respondent (54 percent) would like one. Of these, 23 percentage points want to protect themselves against unexpected events, and even 27 percentage points want the costs to be reimbursed in the event of a cancellation. On the other hand, 17 percentage points want to insure themselves against illness.
That was different in the past, Stefan Kirchner notes: “While in the past the main reason for taking out a contract was insurance in the event of medical emergencies, today for many people protection in the event of short-term travel cancellation and travel interruptions is the priority. The demand for insurance is greater than ever – but so are the expectations of the service provided by insurers when it comes to problem solving.”
