Market Update - 12.03.2026

CURRENT MAJOR TOPICS WITHIN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY INTHE DACH REGION

Travel Agencies Show Signs of Recovery After Weak Start to the Year: Travel agencies in Germany are showing early signs ofrecovery after a slow start to 2026, with February sales slightly exceedinglast year’s levels. According to data from Tats Travel Agency Technologies& Services, total invoiced revenue at travel agencies rose by 1.4% comparedwith February 2025, partially offsetting the weaker January results. The coretourism segment, including cruises, increased by 1.7%, while cruise salescontinued to act as a key growth driver with revenue up 1.8% for the month and nearly3% for the year to date. Flight bookings, however, remained weaker, with bothrevenue and ticket volumes declining slightly. Despite cautious new bookingsoverall, the total booking backlog for travel up to October 2026 remains stableand even higher than last year, particularly in the cruise segment where demandcontinues to grow strongly. Read more.

European Travellers Seek Relaxation and Personal Travel Advice: Thelatest Travel Trend Report by Dertour Group highlights that European travellersare increasingly valuing rest, stress-free planning, and safety when bookingholidays. Surveying 8,000 respondents across 13 countries, the report findsthat trips remain a top spending priority, with 38% of Europeans—rising to 43%in Germany—choosing travel over discretionary purchases like fashion orelectronics. Travellers now favour flexible schedules and nature-basedexperiences over structured itineraries, and package holidays continue tobenefit from this preference for convenience, transparency, and security.Expert travel advice is also in demand: 42% of travellers already consultspecialists, and an additional 32% are interested, particularly to feelsupported during disruptions or crises. Read more.

What Swiss travellers are prioritising for 2026: Swisstravellers are placing greater emphasis on relaxation, safety, and professionalguidance when planning their holidays in 2026, as highlighted in DertourGroup’s latest European Travel Trend Report “The Era of Ease.” Despite risingliving costs and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, travel remainsSwitzerland’s top discretionary spending priority, ahead of sectors liketechnology or fashion. More than half of respondents identify relaxation astheir main motivation, with immersive nature experiences and “slow travel”growing in popularity as families seek to explore destinations at a gentlerpace and enjoy quality time together rather than stick to rigid itineraries.Security and value for money are also key considerations, with around 60% ofSwiss travellers rating price-performance as crucial, and geopolitical risksbeing more strongly felt than in previous years. This trend is boosting theappeal of package holidays, which offer predictable costs and bundled services.Meanwhile, personal travel advice is regaining importance, with many seekingexpert guidance and a reliable contact for reassurance during unexpecteddisruptions. Read more.

ITB 2026 Sees Nearly Stable Attendance Despite War: Theongoing Iran conflict had a noticeable impact on ITB Berlin 2026, with numerousflight cancellations preventing many exhibitors and visitors from arriving,leaving some halls quieter than usual and causing many scheduled meetings to becanceled. Despite these challenges, overall attendance remained almost stable,with around 97,000 participants, only three percent below last year. The fairfeatured 5601 exhibitors from 166 countries and is estimated to havefacilitated business deals worth 47 billion euros, highlighting its continuedinternational importance. The ITB Berlin Congress attracted more than 24,000attendees and hosted over 400 speakers in 200 sessions discussing topics suchas AI, sustainable growth, new market structures, and industry resilience.Angola served as the official guest country, while the Maldives were announcedas the guest country for ITB 2027. Read more.

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CURRENT TOPICS WITHIN THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY IN GERMANY & EUROPE          

Zurich Airport Hits Record Passenger Numbers in 2025: ZurichAirport recorded its busiest year ever in 2025, welcoming 32.6 millionpassengers, a 4.5% increase over 2024. Several peak days during the summer andautumn holidays exceeded 120,000 passengers. CEO Lukas Brosi highlighted thatstrong passenger demand positively impacted all business areas. Total revenuesrose 3% to CHF 1.36 billion, EBITDA increased 4% to CHF 762 million, and netprofit reached CHF 346 million. Aviation revenues grew 5%, while non-aviationsegments, including retail, parking, and real estate, remained stable, with thebusiness hub “The Circle” attracting international companies. Zurich Airportinvested CHF 716 million in infrastructure, including the Dock A redevelopment,baggage system upgrades, and new cargo facilities. Its international portfolioalso grew, notably at Brazilian airports and the upcoming Noida airport nearDelhi. Majority-owned international airports handled 16 million passengers in2025. For 2026, the airport forecasts over 33 million passengers and continuesto invest in technology, connectivity, and infrastructure. Read more.

Lufthansa Aims for Growth in 2026 Despite Uncertainties: LufthansaGroup reported a strong 2025, achieving its highest revenue ever at €39.6billion, up 5% from the previous year, with adjusted operating profit rising20% to around €2 billion. Net profit remained stable at €1.3 billion, impactedby tax effects from the revaluation of loss carryforwards. Passenger trafficincreased 3% to 135 million, with a load factor of 83.2%. Revenue for passengerairlines rose 3% to €30.1 billion, with an operating profit of €1.1 billion,including €90 million contributed by ITA Airways. Lufthansa Airlines, thegroup’s core brand, improved its results by €250 million and returned to apositive operating margin of 0.9%, reflecting progress in its turnaroundprogram. This includes fleet modernization with new long-haul aircraft,expansion of Lufthansa City Airlines and Discover Airlines, and around 700efficiency initiatives. For 2026, the group anticipates further revenue andprofit growth, planning a capacity increase of about 4%, especially onlong-haul routes. Despite this optimism, geopolitical risks, including theMiddle East conflict, create market volatility and uncertainty. Additionallong-haul frequencies to destinations such as Singapore, India, China, andSouth Africa are under review, while fleet modernization aims for one-third ofaircraft to meet the latest technical standards by year-end. Read more.

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DESTINATION NEWS        

GREECE: Greek Tourism Surges from Record toRecord: Greece’s tourism sector reached record highs in 2025 with 38 millioninternational visitors, a 5.6 percent increase over the previous year, led byGermany, which sent nearly six million travelers, up 10.5 percent, followed bythe UK with 4.9 million and Italy with 2.2 million. Revenue growth outpacedvisitor numbers, rising 9.4 percent to €23.6 billion, reflecting investments inhigh-quality accommodations, infrastructure upgrades, and a focus on year-roundtourism, with December arrivals alone up 49 percent. Athens is emerging as amajor city-break destination, combining ancient culture with modern life andseaside access, while mainland and lesser-known islands offer opportunities foractive holidays and extended seasons, such as on Crete where some hotels remainopen into November and even early December. Despite rising prices and globaluncertainties, officials highlight Greece’s competitive value for families andemphasize expansion beyond traditional hotspots like Crete, Rhodes, and Kos,with German tour operators reporting strong early bookings for 2026. Read more.

CANADA: Canada Aims to Continue Its Successin 2026: Canada’s popularity among German travelers shows no signs of slowing,with tour operators building on double-digit revenue growth from 2025. Agencysales remain a key driver, and several operators report strong bookingmomentum, particularly for Eastern Canada and the Atlantic coast. While theFIFA World Cup in Vancouver and Toronto will temporarily absorb somecapacities, overall demand remains high, supported by repeat visitors andflexible travel outside peak hotspots. Revenue growth continues to outpace visitornumbers, reflecting Destination Canada’s focus on high-yield guests andstrategic marketing. Digital campaigns, personal travel advisor support, andtargeted programs like the Canada Specialist Program help convert interest intobookings. Despite budget adjustments and new representation, Germany’s marketremains a priority, setting the stage for another successful year. Read more.

MAURITIUS: Mauritius Aims to Strengthen ItsPresence in 2026: Mauritius seeks to regain its pre-pandemic tourism momentumafter German visitor numbers fell 1.3 percent to 122,166 in 2025, below the2019 level of 129,100. Dinesh Kumar Burrenchobay, the new Chairman of theMauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, attributes this to low visibility andplans initiatives like a roadshow with an airline to strengthen the island’spresence. Germany remains the third-largest source market after France and theUK, served by Condor and Discover Airlines. A new ten-year strategy aims toattract two million international visitors and align traveler expectations withexperiences. Tourism contributes 7.5 percent to GDP, supports over 125,000jobs, and generates more than half a billion USD. Mauritius was prominentlyrepresented at ITB 2026, and several new hotels including Wess Les Salines,Wess Palmar, Wess Ebene, Constance Le Chalant, and Galene Bay Resort & Spawill expand offerings for German travelers. Read more.

TAHITI: Tahiti Tourism Sees OpportunitiesAmid Global Uncertainty: Tahiti Tourisme remains optimistic despite globaltensions, with Senior Advisor Hironui Johnston emphasizing the islands’peaceful location. Visitor numbers set records from 2023 to 2025, reaching281,000 in 2025, roughly one tourist per resident. The US is the largest sourcemarket at 40 percent, followed by France at 35 percent and Europe at 11percent, with Germany contributing around 5,500 visitors. Cruise tourismaccounts for 20 percent of arrivals. German tourists are valued for visitingless-frequented islands and traveling year-round. Looking ahead, modest growthis expected in 2026, supported by Air Tahiti Nui resuming nonstop flights fromSydney to Papeete in December 2026 and expanding to Japan in 2027. Read more.

COSTA RICA: Costa Rica Targets EuropeanTravelers with New Campaign: Costa Rica has launched its first Europe-widetourism campaign, “Live life now – pura vida,” aiming to reach travelers fromGermany, France, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Germany isthe largest European market with 72,000 visitors in 2025 out of 419,000 fromthe six countries, while the campaign focuses on quality over quantity,promoting sustainable growth and longer stays rather than sheer visitornumbers. Costa Rica welcomed 2.7 million tourists in 2025, aiming for 3.8million by 2027, with a strong emphasis on repeat visits, as 30 percent ofguests are already returning visitors. The campaign highlights the country’snatural beauty, relaxed lifestyle, and opportunities for personal rejuvenation,positioning Costa Rica as a place to escape stress and reconnect with life.Connectivity remains crucial, with Lufthansa flying four times weekly fromFrankfurt and additional flights from Edelweiss, complemented by Europeancarriers via connections. Read more.

ITALY: What German Tourists Value inItaly: Italy continues to see strong growth in German visitors, with 11.1million traveling to the country in the first nine months of 2025, a 4.9percent increase, and spending reaching 7.5 billion euros. At ITB Berlin 2026,Enit highlighted new marketing initiatives, including campaigns aimed atreviving tourism in Sicily, Calabria, and Sardinia following storm damage,while emphasizing Germany as its most important market. German travelers aredrawn to a variety of experiences, from beaches and culture to water andmountain sports, typically booking three months in advance for week-long staysfrom major airports like Frankfurt, Munich, and Düsseldorf. Popular citydestinations include Venice, Milan, Trieste, Parma, Genoa, and Verona, whileregional growth is strongest in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio, and Tuscany.Thematic travel, including gastronomy, opera festivals, and e-bike tours, isincreasingly in demand, reflecting a broad interest across the country. Read more.

JAMAICA: Jamaica Leaves Hurricane Behind:Jamaica is recovering quickly from Hurricane Melissa, which struck last year,and the island is ready to welcome visitors again, with 70 percent of hotelcapacity back online. Many hotels have used the downtime for renovations andupgrades, and the destination is also focusing on sustainability and expandingluxury offerings. Around four million tourists visited in 2025, with Germany asthe key European source market, sending 16,000 visitors. Jamaica aims toattract up to 50,000 German guests by 2030, surpassing previous record numbers.Expanding flight connections is a priority, with Condor flying twice weeklyfrom Frankfurt, Edelweiss from Zurich, and a total of five airlines offering105 direct flights from Europe next summer, increasing seat capacity by nearly46 percent compared to 2025. Officials highlight that these gains result fromstrategic airport investments, airline partnerships, and Jamaica’s ongoingpositioning as a unique travel experience. Read more.

MALTA: Malta Reshapes Tourism with Vision2050: Malta is transforming its tourism with "Vision 2050," movingfrom volume to high-quality, sustainable, and premium offerings. The planfocuses on niche markets like culture, conferences, medical and experientialtourism, extending the season, and increasing visitor spending. Key projectsinclude a major film park, upgraded accommodations, and careful development oftourist zones. Sustainability, heritage preservation, and social stability arecentral, supported by investments in gastronomy, historic sites, and urbanrenewal around Valletta’s Grand Harbour. The unified branding campaign,featuring the slogan "Malta: Shine Here," aims to boost internationalcompetitiveness, attract talent and investors, and position Malta as a hub ofculture, innovation, and high-quality tourism. Read more.

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