“Overall, guest numbers for the coming winter are still below those of last year – a trend we are seeing across the entire market. For about a month now, however, we have been seeing a significant rise in weekly bookings from our tour operators, which are often even in double figures compared with last year’s strong figures. The wait-and-see phase is over; the desire to travel is gaining the upper hand,” says Boris Raoul. “We are therefore very optimistic about the coming months of bookings for the winter season.”

Most of the bookings currently coming in are for Thailand and Egypt, followed by the Indian Ocean and the Canary Islands. Our colleagues at DERTOUR are also observing trends in travel styles: “Long-haul travel, flexible travel options and unique experiences are shaping demand for the coming winter. Today, travellers want to tailor their holidays more closely to their personal interests. We are responding to this development by specifically expanding our range of holidays,” says Boris Raoul, CEO of DERTOUR Germany and Austria.

The new winter programmes from DERTOUR, ITS and Meiers Weltreisen therefore focus not only on classic sun destinations in the medium and long-haul sectors, but also on customisable round-trip tours, new offers for solo travellers and special winter experiences such as Northern Lights tours, activity-based holidays and gourmet breaks. In addition, the tour operators are further expanding their hotel portfolio in many destinations, for example in Asia, Africa and the classic winter sun destinations around the Mediterranean and in Egypt. Long-haul specialist Meiers Weltreisen is adding several largely undiscovered destinations to its programme, such as El Salvador, Angola, the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius and the island of St Helena, situated far out in the South Atlantic.

Consumers continue to place greater emphasis on value for money and planning certainty. “We expect demand for early-booking discounts to remain high once again, with savings of up to 45 per cent available this coming winter,” says Sven Schikarsky, Managing Director of Product at DERTOUR Germany. “As well as the price advantage, booking early offers a wider choice of hotels, flight connections and room categories. Many of our guests appreciate this.”

For added planning certainty, many early bookers opt for the optional Flex Package, which offers extended cancellation and rebooking options. This ensures travellers remain flexible in the event of unforeseen changes.

Several destinations in Asia are experiencing particularly strong growth in long-haul travel, including Japan, which has seen a veritable boom in recent years, and Indonesia, particularly Bali. Demand for travel to Southern Africa is also growing at an above-average rate, partly due to the rising popularity of self-drive holidays and an attractive exchange rate. In the short- andmedium-haul segments, the rising stars currently include Norway – thanks to its attractive pricing and diverse range of winter activities – and Morocco, where there is particularly strong interest in Marrakesh. Germany is performing particularly well, having already been one of the most booked destinations last winter. Upper Bavaria, the Harz Mountains and the Baltic Sea are particularly popular here. These rising star destinations thus underscore the findings of the DERTOUR Travel Trend Report: destinations offering nature, active holidays and experiences are continuing to gain in importance.