According to a survey by market researchers GfK, 65% of Germans prefer flying to their holiday destination, 33% prefer beach holidays while city tours (20%) are the most popular activity. Germany, Spain and Turkey are the favourite destinations.
In response to the findings, TUI Germany tourism chief Oliver Dörschuck has drawn up eight theses on trends for summer 2014. “The hotel is the destination”, he put as the top thesis. “The destination is losing importance and the hotel is more important than ever for us of all,” he wrote.
Long-haul destinations are more popular than ever while demand is also growing for smaller destinations such as Menorca, Kos and Dalaman. But tourists also want an “adrenalin kick” on holiday with a touch of adventure and holidays that match their interests, according to Dörschuck.
Technology is the heart of the other three trends. Customers want to combine online and offline, especially for bookings, while they also want to be connected while on holiday. In future, customers will want more “selfie” ‘iTrips’, revolving around themselves, the TUI tourism chief predicted.