The dynamics of the tourism sector in Germany are strong, as travel spending in 2024 reached 83.4 billion, reaching new highs, according to a study by the German Travel Association.
The number of people employed in the sector reaches 2.9 million, i.e. 7% of all jobs in Germany. There are more than 2,300 tour operators, while in general there are 8,000 travel agencies, mainly small and medium-sized enterprises. To the latter can be added another 3,900 smaller points of sale.
The turnover of companies operating in the sector increased in 2024 to 39.6 billion euros (+6.7% year-on-year). In particular, the turnover of travel agencies amounted to 22 billion euros, of which 15.1 billion euros for private travel and 6.9 billion euros for business travel. The number of overnight stays amounted to 487.2 million, an increase of 1.8%. German travelers in 2024 also trusted a high percentage (50%) of the organization of their trips to travel agencies and travel agencies. 80% of the population traveled in 2024, with only 23.6% choosing domestic destinations (2023: 22%, 2022: 27.1%).
Greece gained another position in 2024, climbing to 4th place in terms of preferences of German tourists and improving its share (4.7%). Spain is first with a share of 15%, Italy is second with a share of 8.6% and Turkey is third with 8.5%.
In 2024, short getaways (2-4 days) by Germans gained ground. This is a category that is growing rapidly, as within two years the annual short-term trips of Germans have almost doubled.
According to data from the Bank of Greece, tourist traffic to Greece in 2024 continued its dynamic upward trend, exceeding pre-pandemic figures for the second consecutive year. Germany maintained its 1st place among the countries of origin of visitors to our country, with increasing trends and widening the gap with the second-placed United Kingdom.
German visitors had the longest length of stay among European tourists in 2024 (8.7 nights), but with a comparatively low average expenditure (79 euros per night). In fact, expenditure decreased compared to 2023 (-3.4%) and is among the lowest per capita among tourists arriving from Western Europe.
Nevertheless, in terms of total tourism receipts per country, Germany once again took first place with approximately 3.7 billion euros. It is noted, of course, that this annual increase in receipts (+3.7%) was disproportionately smaller compared to the numerical increase (+13.4%) of German visitors to our country. This fact, combined with the stagnation of per capita expenditure, should be taken into account when planning the future tourism strategy in relation to Germany.
The information comes from the Office for Economic and Commercial Affairs in Berlin.
