This year there was a slight upturn in Europe’s
tourism sector, which however will only slowly recover from the
aftermath of the global recession next year. 2010 was a year in
which Europe’s travel industry reported stable business. At the
same time it must now accept that shorter trips and reduced
spending have become the norm. These are the findings of the ITB
World Travel Trends Report, which is based on an extract of the
European Travel Monitor and forecasts by more than 50 tourism
experts and scientists from around the world. The report is
compiled by IPK International and commissioned by ITB Berlin.
According to figures from UNWTO, international
arrivals in Europe this year will rise by 1 to 3%, while IPK
International predicts a 1 to 2% increase in travel within Europe.
Short-distance travel in Europe stagnated, whereas long-haul trips
undertaken by Europeans grew by 5%. The cruise market continued to
boom. Both sea and river cruises grew by 10%, while air travel
increased by only 2%. Car travel fell by 2%.
“Compared with other
European countries Germany is among those benefiting from the
current economic upturn,” said Dr. Martin Buck, Director CompetenceCenter Travel & Logistics, Messe
Berlin. “The direction the European travel market takes in 2011
will not least depend on external influences such as the airfare
surcharge and what happens in the UK, an important market, but one
that continues to grapple with the long-term effects of the
recession.”
Germany was one of the most sought-after travel destinations in
2010, which according to the ITB World Travel Trends Report
attracted 8% more tourists from Europe. In 2010 the
Netherlands, Egypt and China also reported a similar rise in
tourism from Europe, whereas the UK, Spain, Greece and the US
reported a decline.
The time spent travelling and
the amount of money spent are proof of how severely the worldwide
recession has affected travel behaviour not only in Europe but
around the world in 2010. Whereas trips undertaken by Europeans
increased by 1%, overnights dropped by 2%, and
spending by Europeans fell by 3%.
The rise in
last-minute bookings also demonstrates how unstable the European
travel market was this year. The European Travel Monitor recorded
a 25% rise in bookings made one week prior to the
departure date. The internet is becoming an increasingly important
instrument for planning and booking trips. In Europe, the number
of online bookings rose by 17%, and is now nearing the 50% mark.
The recession will continue to
impact on European travel behaviour next year. 65% of
Europeans said the effects of the recession would influence their
travel decisions. 44% plan to go on the same number of
trips next year, with nearly 23% travelling more and the
same percentage travelling less in 2010. The Germans revealed
themselves to be among Europe’s least spendthrift nations,
alongside the Spanish and Russians. Overall, only 6%
intend to spend more on trips next year, while 37% aim to
reduce their travel budget.
The ITB World Travel Trends Report 2010/2011 is based on the assessments of 60 tourism experts
from 30 countries, on a special IPK International trend analysis
undertaken in leading source markets, and on core data supplied by
the World Travel Monitor, recognised as the largest continuous
survey of global travel trends in some 60 source countries.
The
findings reflect trends which emerged during the first eight
months of 2010. On 9 March 2011 at the ITB Future Day, Rolf Freitag, CEO of IPK International, will present the findings for
the entire year, as well as current forecasts for 2011 at a
session entitled “ITB World Travel Trends Report - an Update on
Global and European Tourism Forecasts”.
ITB Berlin 2011 will
take place from Wednesday, 9 to Sunday, 13 March. Wednesday to Friday will be open to trade visitors only. Parallel
with the trade fair, the ITB Berlin Convention will be held from
Wednesday, 9 to Friday, 11 March 2011.
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