Despite subdued consumer sentiment, holidays remain a high priority. This is shown by the current travel barometer, which DERTOUR uses twice a year to analyse the travel behaviour of its guests. The figures are stable and early booking continues to gain in importance. In focus: solo travel - mainstream instead of niche. Find out what's behind it here.
How did guests travel in the winter months of November 2025 to the end of February 2026? This was the subject of DERTOUR's latest travel barometer survey. The analysis shows a stable guest volume at the previous year's level. "This development is a very positive signal against the backdrop of a challenging consumer environment and an exceptionally strong previous winter, which saw an increase in guests of more than 30 %," says Boris Raoul, CEO DERTOUR Germany and Austria.
„Despite the overall subdued consumer sentiment, winter holidays remained a high priority for many people. They held on to their holidays and planned them more consciously, with a stronger focus on value for money and the targeted use of early booking discounts.“
This deliberate planning is particularly evident in the timing of bookings. Winter holidays in 2025/26 were once again booked earlier than in the previous year. On average, the advance booking period was 107 days, +3 days above the previous year's level. "Even more travellers booked their winter holidays early in order to secure the most popular hotels at the best conditions, especially during holiday periods," says Boris Raoul.
As in previous years, the majority of winter holidays in 2025/26 were booked at travel agencies. 63% of guests opted for personal advice, 37% booked online. "Holidays are very important to many people. That's why the majority of our guests consciously place their holiday in experienced hands. Travel agency experts provide guidance on the wide range of offers and know exactly how to find attractive holidays at the best conditions or how to personalise them. Especially in challenging times, many travellers also appreciate the added value of a personal contact person," says Raoul.
The distribution of routes in winter 2025/26 shows a slight shift in favour of closer destinations. 65% of guests spent their winter holiday on short and medium-haul routes, an increase of +2 percentage points compared to the previous year.
„Many travellers paid even more attention to value for money and easily calculable total costs when planning their winter holidays. This boosted the development of individual destinations such as Egypt.“
35% of travellers opted for a long-haul destination, which corresponds to a decrease of -2 percentage points. "In a challenging economic environment, many travellers paid even more attention to value for money and easily calculable total costs when planning their winter holidays. This boosted the performance of individual destinations such as Egypt. This dynamic contributed to a slight shift in favour of short and medium-haul destinations," explains Sven Schikarsky, Managing Director and Head of Product at DERTOUR and its sister brands ITS and Meiers Weltreisen. "At the same time, long-haul travel remained an important part of the winter travel business."
Egypt topped the list of the most popular winter holiday destinations on short and medium-haul routes . Starting from a high level, the country recorded an increase of +15% in guest numbers, moving up from second place to first place.
"Egypt was the most popular winter holiday destination overall and gained a five-digit number of guests compared to the previous year. This is an impressive development," explains Sven Schikarsky. "Egypt's success factors include the reliable climate, short flight times and a high density of high-quality offers with a strong all-inclusive focus. They ensure planning security and appeal to different target groups."
Spain follows in second place, dropping one place compared to the previous year but remaining one of the most popular winter holiday destinations, particularly with the Canary Islands. Turkey maintains 3rd place, and Germany also holds its position in 4th place. Austria makes a visible leap in the ranking, moving up from 7th place to 5th place thanks to an increase in guests of +37%. The destination benefited in particular from a good price picture, plenty of sunshine and reliable snowmaking on the slopes.
Poland recorded a slight decline in visitors and slipped from 5th to 6th place.
In the long-haul segment, Thailand maintained its top position as the most-booked winter holiday destination. The country continues to score points with its excellent value for money and wide range of offers. The Indian Ocean follows in second place, also maintaining its stable position. The Caribbean remains in third place. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recorded a slight decline in guests of -3% and ranked in 4th place (previous year: 3rd place). East Africa recorded a significant increase in guests of +15% and holds 5th place. The region is benefiting from the ongoing adventure trend with exceptional safari and wildlife observation opportunities in Kenya and Tanzania, as well as improved accessibility thanks to new flight connections and an attractive price-performance ratio. Zanzibar is also attracting more and more holidaymakers with its paradisiacal beaches.
In the 2025/26 winter holidays, guests' high quality standards were once again reflected in their choice of accommodation. 86% of holidaymakers booked a 4- or 5-star hotel, slightly more than in the previous year (85%). The proportion of 5-star hotels continued to rise (+2 percentage points to 36%), while the proportion of 4-star hotels (50%) and hotels with 3 or fewer stars (14%) fell slightly (-1 percentage point in each case).
There were no changes in catering compared to the previous year. All-inclusive remained by far the most popular form of catering at 47%, followed by breakfast (34%) and half board (19%).
"Overall, this confirms the continued focus on comfort and quality on winter holidays. The continued strong demand for all-inclusive holidays also highlights the desire for good value for money, predictability and budget security," says Sven Schikarsky.
In winter 2025/26, solo travellers accounted for 18 percent of all trips. This means that almost one in five trips was taken alone. Solo travellers exhibit independent travel behaviour with special accents in terms of travel duration, booking behaviour, accommodation and catering. "Solo travellers are an integral part of the travel market," says Sven Schikarsky. "Our aim is to serve this target group with an offer that is consistently tailored to their individual needs."
An in-depth analysis of the topic of solo travel can be found in the Focus issue "Solo Travel" of the DERTOUR Travel Barometer Winter 2025/26.
Here you can read all the findings of the DERTOUR Travel Barometer Winter 2025/26 .
Data basis: The evaluation is based on bookings with DERTOUR and its sister brands ITS, Meiers Weltreisen and Travelix Last Minute with travel dates in the period from 1 November 2025 to 28 February 2026 compared to bookings with travel dates in the period from 1 November 2024 to 28 February 2025.