Sales for Holiday and Leisure Travel to Increase by 6% in 2025 Compared to 2024, Predicts German Travel Association (DRV)
This means that spending on travel bookings is expected to reach 85 billion euros this year. According to the DRV, around half of the total travel market revenue comes from holiday packages and travel services provided by travel agents. At the same time, the number of travelers is likely to remain at the same level as last year, at 139 million.
These estimates are based on the latest market forecast, which the DRV developed in cooperation with industry experts and publishes twice a year.
Desire to travel remains undiminished
Despite the crises and economic challenges, Germans’ desire to travel remains undiminished, said DRV President Norbert Fiebig. However, concerns about impending unemployment are rising again, while punctuality and the rising cost of living are reducing consumer sentiment and putting pressure on disposable income in household budgets.
“Nevertheless, we see that the numbers in the travel industry are on the rise,” said Mr. Fiebig. “However, if the negative economic trends become more pronounced, this will have an impact on travel behavior.”
Winter travel is also on the rise
For the current winter season 2024/2025, the DRV expects travel spending to increase by 6% to 27 billion euros (previous year: 24 billion euros). According to the association, the number of travelers will decrease slightly by 1% – to around 45 million compared to 2024.
The DRV expects demand to continue to grow, especially for medium-haul destinations around the Mediterranean. Long-haul travel and cruises remain at a consistently high level.
High demand for the Mediterranean – return to early bookings
The forecast for the summer is optimistic, as there are “very good advance bookings” both with tour operators and for individual trips.
More people have already booked a package or “parts” of a trip with a travel agent than at the same time last year, says the DRV president. This means that the strong trend for early booking continues, especially for summer holidays.
The travel industry expects sales to increase by 5% to 58 billion euros for the total market, i.e. sales by travel agents and bookings for individual trips in the summer. Medium-haul destinations, cruises, and long-haul trips are particularly contributing to this positive development. In total, around 94 million travelers are expected – the same number as in the summer of 2024.
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