GERMAN tour operators are banking on another four to five per cent increase to Asia this year – the same rate of growth as in the past few years – with no major surprises expected.
Michael Frese, CEO of Dertour and Meier’s Weltreisen, said forward bookings to date show German travel to Asia is up six per cent. This is based on access to data of some 2,000 German travel agencies, which sell wholesalers’ products.
Dertour and Meier’s growth was in line with the figure, Frese said.
“Asia is doing well. Although the largest increase in the longhaul is for (East and South) Africa, up 16 per cent, Asia’s volume is twice as large as Africa,” he added.
Frese expects the booking trend to remain steady. “Germans do not seem hesitant to travel. Unemployment is at its lowest ever, salaries are increasing, with some unions succeeding in getting a six per cent rise, and interest rates are almost zero.
“Germans are not buying new cars as the government had incentivised them three years ago to buy new cars in order to support the automobile industry. So there is enough disposable income – no reason why the booking trend should not continue.”
Meanwhile, Holger Baldus, managing director of Marco Polo Reisen, expects less than five per cent growth this year. “It’s going to be an average year, just like last year. The Eurozone debt crisis is not impacting Germany too badly. Germans are still travelling, and we’re seeing greater demand from younger customers who want to enjoy themselves, explore and learn.”
Marco Polo has launched a new product for small groups of six to 12 pax (compared with 22 pax for its classic series). The product reaches to adventurous travellers who want to gain real insights into a destination. It offers activities such as cycling by night in Bangkok, exploring street food in Delhi and staying in boutique properties.
– Read more in TTG Show Daily – ITB Berlin
