The current booking figures from Europe's second-largest tour operator indicate that Germans are still keen to travel. The forecast for the coming travel summer is optimistic: "We are already seeing strong demand for summer holidays across all segments in this still early booking phase. The Germans' desire to travel seems to be unbroken; summer holidays are also set for 2026," explains Boris Raoul, CEO of DERTOUR Germany and Austria since November and Chief Technology Officer of the DERTOUR Group. "Our mission and our claim is to provide the right offer for every situation and every budget - from budget-conscious family holidays to extraordinary long-haul trips. With our new programme, we offer a variety of holidays that are not only attractively priced, but also cater to the niche market."

After an increase in guests of almost 40 per cent in the previous winter season, bookings for the current winter season in Germany remain stable at a very high level. Demand for holidays in the sun remains high. "The fact that we are maintaining last year's high level of bookings this winter season once again highlights the trend towards investing in holidays and experiences. Winter holidays in the sun are still in high demand," explains Boris Raoul.

A pronounced early booking phase can currently be observed, with travel agencies remaining the most popular booking channel. In the previous year, the average advance booking period for summer holidays increased by a total of eight days to 135 days before departure. With early booking discounts of up to 50 percent, the trend towards early bookings continues: "We are once again seeing that German travellers attach great importance to planning security and want to benefit from high discounts," says Boris Raoul. "The early booking discount in combination with a flex option offers guests double security: they benefit from attractive prices and at the same time remain completely flexible if plans change."

"An attractive price-performance ratio, high quality and a special variety of experiences - these are decisive criteria for summer holidays in 2026. They influence the choice of destination as well as the time of booking and the type of holiday," says Boris Raoul. "For the coming summer, travellers can therefore choose from the largest portfolio in the German tour operator market, which promises a special variety of experiences at fair prices."

"One focus of our continuous expansion is on new exclusives, i.e. hotels that can only be booked with our tour operators on the German market. Another is the expansion of our own hotel brands. We are entering summer 2026 with a total of seven new hotels under the ananea, Sentido and Calimera brands," explains Sven Schikarsky, Managing Director Product DERTOUR Germany.

The range of round trips is also larger than ever and is growing by around 250 new offers to a total of 1,600 round trips worldwide. In addition, travellers can choose from product lines such as DERTOUR Deluxe, DERTOUR Sports, DERTOUR À la Carte (tailor-made individual and group tours) and more sustainable offers from the "Bewusst Reisen" programme.

A look at the early booking data shows: This summer, Germany's favourite short and medium-haul destinations remain Turkey, Spain, Greece, Egypt and Tunisia, while long-haul destinations include the Indian Ocean, Thailand, North America, the United Arab Emirates and the Caribbean. The Germans' preference for value-for-money favourites is still evident: destinations such as Tunisia and Bulgaria are among the clear climbers in the current incoming bookings for the coming summer season.

The popularity of long-haul holidays is also continuing to grow: almost one in five bookings at DERTOUR Germany is currently a long-haul holiday. This means that this segment is currently experiencing guest growth of +33 per cent compared to the previous year. Among the top long-haul destinations, Thailand has once again improved its ranking and is in second place. Overall, East Africa, the Caribbean, the United Arab Emirates and the Indian Ocean are currently recording the highest growth rates.