A strong sense of relief is prevailing in Germany’s tourism market after the country’s coalition government decided to reverse last year’s increase in aviation tax.
The reduction, which will be implemented from July 1, 2026, is seen as a lifeline for the market, which has been under pressure from constant charges in recent years.
The president of the German Travel Association (DRV), Albin Loidl, spoke of a “necessary and important first step to ensure that holidays remain affordable for everyone.”
In addition to the passenger tax increase, there have been other recent increases in fees and charges that have made air travel an expensive affair for many Germans.
As Mr Loidl explains, the passenger tax alone could cost a family of four up to 300 euros, in addition to airport charges and insurance costs.
“This is not just a financial burden, but a social issue,” he said, adding that “holidays should remain affordable, especially for families.”
A boost for the economy and international connectivity
For Loidl, the importance of the decision is not limited to tourism: “Air travel is a driving force of the economy, it connects people, markets and ideas.” According to him, without competitive air connections, Germany is sacrificing its place on the international map, affecting exports, business contacts and innovation.
The entire travel chain depends on air transport: travel agencies, tour operators, airlines and airports support hundreds of thousands of jobs. At the same time, in many developing countries, tourism acts as an “economic stabilizer”, providing income and employment, it says.
Additional measures to bring relief until 2029
The reversal of the tax increase is accompanied by a package of future reductions that reinforce the sense of optimism.
In this direction, further relief measures have been announced, such as the fact that air traffic control costs are not expected to increase further in 2026, but rather to decrease, and that fees will be significantly reduced by more than 10% in total by 2029.
The coalition committee also said that the cost of aviation security checks at airports is to be reduced through improvements in processes and efficiency. This also supports the path towards climate-neutral mobility.
The big bet: producing sustainable fuels
Despite the relief, Loidl stresses that the path to climate-neutral travel remains the big challenge: “We must do everything we can to ensure that travel can soon be carried out with significantly reduced CO2 emissions and, in the long term, is climate-neutral,” he continued.
“What is missing, however, are sustainable fuels,” he warned. The travel industry finally needs the right political decisions in this area. “This concerns above all the availability of green fuels for air travel and cruises.”
EU regulations are inadequate. “We need to increase industrial production at affordable prices – and we need political support for this,” he stressed.
