The 2024/25 financial year and the 2025 summer season for German travel agencies ended with a 6% increase in revenue compared to last year, thanks to a strong wave of last-minute bookings in October and despite the fact that the total number of travelers remained at last year’s levels.
This phenomenon reflects this year’s pattern: stable demand but higher revenues, due to more expensive packages and higher spending per trip.
Advance bookings boom for summer 2026
The picture of the German travel market for summer 2026 is particularly impressive. Germans have already spent around 16 billion euros on advance bookings for the 2026 summer holidays, whether they are organized packages or modular holidays.
However, the number of travelers is only 1% higher than last year, as due to the economic recession and inflation, fewer Germans can afford holidays, while at the same time increased travel prices are increasing revenues.
The question now is whether this trend will continue, which will depend on the economic and geopolitical developments in the coming months.
Online dynamics: Almost half of German travelers book online
The shift towards online bookings is strengthening. 47% of German travelers book their summer vacations through traditional travel portals of tour operators or online travel agencies.
Online channels generate 43% of summer season revenues, up 15% year-on-year.
Physical travel agencies maintain last year’s levels, but overall – including last winter – record a 2% revenue increase for the year.
46% of October sales relate to summer 2026
The new winter season 2025/26 starts with a strong “cushion” of pre-bookings and an 8% revenue increase, which sets a different tone for the start of the travel year.
For the upcoming winter, prices are only rising slightly and demand from early bookers is strong. Preferences revolve around long-haul trips, medium-haul trips to western destinations (Canary Islands) and cruises, which together account for 25% of total revenue so far.
Eastern medium-haul destinations account for 20% of the share, but with a strong increase of +14%. Egypt stands out with an impressive increase of 20% compared to last winter.
In October 2025, 40% of the monthly turnover in organized tourism businesses came from bookings for winter holidays, while pre-bookings for summer 2026 already represent 46% of the month’s sales, almost half of the total.
“Book early”: The return of the logic of early bookings
Organizers confirm the trend. Dertour Group reports a “clearly strengthened pre-booking phase” in line with last year, when the average booking time for summer 2026 increased by 8 days, reaching 135 days before departure.
At the same time, analysis by HolidayCheck shows that 16 of 28 destinations abroad are cheaper in November compared to October, confirming that the market is pricing dynamically.
