Market Update - 03.09.2026

CURRENT MAJOR TOPICS WITHIN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THE DACH REGION

Flexibility remains key when choosing how to travel: A new study commissioned by the Initiative Pauschalreise shows that 49 percent of trips lasting five days or more were booked as package or modular trips in 2025, making this the most common booking format since 2023. However, when package and individual trips are considered equally attractive, 39 percent of travellers would prefer an individually booked trip offering greater flexibility and authenticity, compared with 26 percent favouring the security and support of a package holiday. Preferences vary by destination, with individual bookings more common for domestic and European travel, while package holidays remain popular for long haul trips. Package holidays score particularly well for convenience, reliability and support, while individual travel is valued for tailored offers, variety and value for money. Read more.

Solo Travel Demand Is Growing, but Gradually: Solo travel is becoming increasingly popular, with 36 percent of German travellers expressing interest in taking a solo trip within the next twelve months, the highest share in Europe. Tour operators including TUI, Dertour, Alltours, Schauinsland Reisen and Wikinger report growing demand and are expanding their solo travel offerings, including trips with reduced or no single supplements. However, data from the FUR Reiseanalyse suggests a more gradual development, with the share of solo holidays in Germany actually declining slightly from 12 percent in 2010 to 11 percent in 2024 and forecast to reach only 12 percent by 2035. Solo travel is particularly common for domestic holidays, while popular destinations include Spain, Greece, Egypt and Turkey, alongside long haul destinations such as Japan, Vietnam and Peru. Read more.

Package Holidays Remain Strong Despite Demand for Flexibility: Package and modular holidays accounted for 49 percent of German trips lasting at least five days in 2025, making them the leading form of holiday organisation since 2023. A NIT study shows that package holidays are particularly strong for Mediterranean and long haul trips, while individual bookings dominate in Germany and many European destinations. Their main advantages are seen in convenience, support in case of problems and protection against insolvency, while individual travel scores higher for flexibility and choice. However, only 23 percent of respondents consider their knowledge of the legal protections associated with package holidays to be good. Dertour Group CEO Christoph Debus therefore calls for the German Travel Security Fund to be developed into a visible quality label, similar to the UK’s ATOL protection scheme, while also advocating reforms to make the fund more transparent and economically sustainable for tour operators. Read more.

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CURRENT TOPICS WITHIN THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY IN GERMANY & EUROPE

Finnair Expands Winter Connections from Germany to Finland: In winter 2026/27, Finnair will connect five German airports – Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich – with its Helsinki hub, offering more than 80 weekly departures. From Helsinki, travelers can connect to 15 destinations across Finland, including Rovaniemi, Kittilä, Ivalo and Kuusamo in Finnish Lapland, which will be served several times a day. Berlin will have the most frequent service with up to 21 weekly flights, followed by Hamburg with 19, while Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich will each operate up to 14 weekly flights. The winter schedule runs from October 25, 2026, to March 27, 2027, improving access from Germany to Finland’s popular winter destinations. Read more.

German Airports Report Positive Summer Season: German airports are drawing a positive conclusion from the 2026 summer holidays, with strong passenger numbers despite fewer flights at some locations. Düsseldorf handled around 3.4 million passengers during the holiday period, Hamburg 2.3 million and Cologne Bonn more than 1.8 million, up five percent year on year. Frankfurt recorded 6.2 million passengers in July, 1.4 percent more than in June, despite a 3.2 percent decline in flight movements, as higher load factors and larger aircraft supported passenger growth. Antalya and Palma de Mallorca were among the most popular holiday destinations, while airports are now preparing for continued high demand during the autumn and winter seasons, including new routes and expanded services. Read more.

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DESTINATION NEWS

GREECE: Greece puts small islands at the heart of its tourism strategy: Greece is placing its smaller islands at the centre of its tourism strategy, with a focus on sustainable growth, improved infrastructure and stronger connectivity. Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni recently visited the Diapontia Islands of Othonoi, Mathraki and Erikoussa to discuss transport links, funding opportunities, destination management and tourism promotion. The government aims to keep the islands economically vibrant while preserving their natural environment and local identity. Planned measures include infrastructure improvements and the development of specialised tourism products tailored to each island. Better connections with nearby Corfu could also help attract visitors and distribute tourism more evenly, while a new national tourism framework places particular emphasis on protecting the character of small islands. Read more.

ITALY: Italy’s Film Tourism Generates €600 Million Annually: Italy’s film and television tourism sector generates around €600 million in annual revenue, attracting more than 11 million day visitors to filming locations. The trend is being boosted by major international productions such as Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which is drawing renewed attention to Sicily’s Favignana and other Italian locations. According to the Italian Tourism Ministry’s Cineturismo 2026 report, film related tourism also generates around 1.3 million overnight stays each year. Italy is increasingly developing film tourism as part of broader cultural, culinary and nature experiences, with Favignana alone potentially generating up to €429 million in tourism revenue over the longer term. Read more.

KYRGYZSTAN: World Nomad Games Put Kyrgyzstan in the Tourism Spotlight: The World Nomad Games are drawing growing attention from the travel industry as Kyrgyzstan seeks to establish itself as an emerging adventure and cultural destination in Central Asia. The sixth edition takes place from August 31 to September 6, with competitions mainly held around Lake Issyk Kul and athletes from 90 countries expected to participate. Traditional disciplines such as Kok Boru, horse wrestling, archery and eagle hunting are combined with cultural performances and authentic nomadic traditions. Originally launched by Kyrgyzstan in 2014, the event has grown from around 400 athletes from 20 countries to several thousand participants and was recognized by UNESCO as an initiative supporting intangible cultural heritage. German tour operators are increasingly seeing potential in combining the Games with cultural, adventure and round trips through Kyrgyzstan. Read more.

GUERNSEY: Guernsey Approaches Pre-Pandemic Visitor Levels: Guernsey is seeing strong growth in tourism, with almost 82,000 travellers visiting the Channel Island in the second quarter of 2026, 13 percent more than a year earlier and only around 500 below the record level of 2019. Nearly 35,500 leisure visitors stayed overnight between April and June, an increase of more than 5,000 year on year. A new daily British Airways service via London Heathrow, launched in April, has improved connectivity from Germany and other European markets. The islands are also promoting autumn events including the Autumn Walking Festival and the culinary festival The Big Eat Guernsey, while the historic Castle Cornet will close for renovation from September until May 2027. Read more.

BRAZIL: International Tourists Spend More in Brazil: International tourists spent US$6.543 billion in Brazil between January and July 2026, an increase of 9.4 percent compared with the same period last year. During the first seven months, nearly six million international visitors arrived in the country, while air arrivals rose by 12 percent year on year. Airports accounted for more than 68 percent of all international arrivals, highlighting the importance of air connectivity. According to Embratur, tourism spending benefits a wide range of sectors, including accommodation, gastronomy, excursions and retail, while helping distribute tourism revenue across different regions of Brazil. Read more.

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