Things finally got going again from Christmas onwards
While last year the booking figures in January were rather disappointing due to the Omikron wave, January in 2023 regained its traditional role as a particularly strong booking month. People used the time between the Christmas holidays and New Year to look for package holiday offers for the coming year and also booked at short notice. The booking peak was reached in mid-January. It should be noted that according to data from Amadeus Leisure IT systems, the number of bookings for the first month and a half of 2023 is still 35% lower than bookings for the same period in 2019. However, the inflation-adjusted turnover in 2023 was not also 35% lower, but "only" 26%. The reason for this can be found in the value of the bookers' shopping baskets. This was 15% higher on average in inflation-adjusted terms in 2023 than in the same period in 2019. Germans booked less in January, but when they booked, they spent more.
The trend continues: all-inclusive offers are becoming more and more popular.
Whether couple, single, family or single with children: All-inclusive offers are becoming increasingly popular among Germans. On average, 50% of all booking enquiries concern this type of catering. All-inclusive plus offers in particular are becoming more and more popular.
People want to have a good time.
For most Germans, the annual holiday is one of the annual highlights, during which they want to enjoy themselves. Especially if you want to take your mind off things in the current troubled and difficult times. No sooner did we think we had left Corona behind and that the long-awaited normality would return than Russia sparked a war of aggression against Ukraine, in the shadow of which inflation is reaching heights not seen for a long time. It is therefore not surprising that at least 4 stars are a must for the vast majority. At least three quarters of booking requests are made for corresponding offers. Since 2018/19, 5-star hotels in particular have been requested more frequently.
Savings are made through the duration of the trip.
As prices are rising on the one hand and German holidaymakers do not want to forego comfort on the other, shorter trip durations are being requested compared to the past. This trend is very pronounced among families and singles with children. The proportion of enquiries from families for 14-day package holidays has halved since 18/19 from 18% to 9% (singles with children: 14% to 7%), whereas the proportion of enquiries for holidays lasting seven days has risen from 18% to 36% (singles with children: stable at 36% since 18/19). For singles with children, the share of booking requests for trips lasting 5 or 6 days has certainly doubled from 7% to 14%.
Three lessons for marketing
- One of the most powerful promotional periods for tourism is between Christmas and New Year to inspire and inform potential customers. At the end of the year, many people have the time and leisure to think about the "most wonderful time of the year" and to coordinate with friends or family. So far, this period has been little used by tourism companies. Destinations in particular could achieve a very high market penetration paired with high advertising pressure here because of the short period.
- The first impulses for thinking about the next holiday are often given in conversations with friends and acquaintances who report on their own experiences. Reports from close people are still the biggest influencing factor when it comes to travel decisions. As an advertiser, this offers the opportunity to encourage people to report more about their experiences (word of mouth marketing) or to advertise via people who are considered "close" (influencers and especially microinfluencers). 3.
- January and February are again the core months for sales-related advertising. However, for the majority of bookers the type of trip and / or the destination is already fixed. Only those who have previously made it into the customer's "relevant set" still play a role in these months. For destinations with similar offers, as is the case with the warm water destinations, it is still worthwhile to channel customers to one's own offer through short-term campaigns.
Summary
Despite the current difficult political and economic situation, Germans are again planning their holidays more long-term, which is noticeable in the booking figures in January. Comfort and quality are playing an increasingly important role for German holidaymakers. However, they are having to cut back on the length of their trips due to the rise in prices. Overall, however, it is clear that Germans continue to appreciate the value of holidays and relaxation, which is reflected in the increased average value of shopping baskets. For marketing, there are again clearly defined campaign periods.