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Analysis by McKinsey and trivago: Corona is changing German travel habits
- Booking requests have risen 65 percent in the first week of June compared to May
- An exclusive analysis of data by hotel price comparison site trivago shows that Germans are avoiding long-distance trips this year
- No more short breaks: vacations for longer periods are now the choice of preference
- Mountains over Mallorca:
Austria prevailed overItaly andSpain as the top choice for trips abroad in May
DÜSSELDORF,
The search data and booking queries show that concerns over travel restrictions and the convenience of the travel destination now play a major role in travel planning. Public announcements on travel restrictions have a direct impact on search behavior, which is why destinations in
Ease of planning and local offers influence choice of destination
“As expected, demand for vacations in natural surroundings and beautiful landscapes has significantly increased, while interest in city breaks has collapsed. This trend will likely continue for a long time even after Corona,” according to
A dashboard developed by McKinsey and trivago allows this data to be interpreted, trends to be determined in travel behavior, and success factors identified for travel firms. “People are now basing their choice of travel destination on completely different criteria than in the time before the coronavirus pandemic,” says Jürgen Schröder, Senior Partner at
The German coast is the new top destination of Germans
The German destinations on the
Demand for holiday apartments has also grown by more than 65 percent since the crisis. “Vacations in a holiday apartment are less affected by the travel restrictions than, for example, vacations in a hotel complex. They come closest to replicating that pre-corona vacation feeling,” says trivago boss
Trips abroad are mostly being postponed to the end of the year
The data shows that the popularity of a destination pre-corona still plays a big role, and Germans are staying true to their traditionally favored travel destinations of
Equally, many Germans are deciding to postpone their travel plans to later in the year. Although as in the previous year, domestic trips are mainly planned for the summer months, the data analysis shows a clear trend of international trips being postponed to later in the year and early 2021.
The travel industry needs to respond quickly to changing customer expectations
According to McKinsey consultant Schröder, the various players in the travel industry including tourism associations, event organizers and hotels face completely new challenges: “They need to ensure that demand and expectations for a destination match the realities and opportunities available at that destination. If this is not the case, measures need to be taken to ensure travelers still enjoy a good experience. Hotels, for example, need to know when capacities can be ramped up or need to be scaled down.”
The analysis of the search queries offers an overview of the factors that are most important to Germans who want to travel:
- Travel restrictions: Which destinations are currently open for travel?
- Convenience: Which destinations can currently be reached safely, e.g., by car, availability of alternative transport, and other restrictions such as compulsory face-mask regulations on airplanes, and so on.
- Travel sentiment: Given the current situation, which regions will offer the best vacation experience, e.g., number of COVID-19 cases, local healthcare system, etc.
- Attractiveness: Given the current restrictions, how attractive is the destination, e.g., opening hours of key attractions, restaurant opening times, availability of accommodation, etc.
About trivago
trivago is a leading global hotel search platform focused on reshaping the way travelers search for and compare hotels and alternative accommodations. Incorporated in 2005 in Düsseldorf, Germany, the platform allows travelers to make informed decisions by personalizing their hotel search and providing them access to a deep supply of hotel information and prices. trivago enables its advertisers to grow their businesses by providing access to a broad audience of travelers via its websites and apps. As of March 31, 2020, trivago has established 54 localized platforms connected to over 4.5 million hotels and alternative accommodations, in over 190 countries.
Media Contact:
stephanie.lowenthal@trivago.com