The market for package tours in Germany

Package tours are travel offers that include at least two different travel services at a total price. These travel services may include, for example, transportation (e.g., flight, train, bus), accommodation (e.g., hotel, vacation apartment) or other tourist services (e.g., rental car, guided tours). Package tours are usually organized and arranged by tour operators. According to the German Civil Code (BGB), package tours are contracts in which a tour operator is obligated to the traveler to provide a totality of travel services. In this context, the rights and obligations of the contracting parties are governed by the BGB.

Prior to the Covid 19 pandemic, the industry experienced steady growth globally between 2017 and 2019, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.97%. However, the outbreak of the pandemic in 2019 saw a drastic drop in sales of nearly 25%. Fortunately, the industry experienced a recovery from 2020 to 2022, during which revenue growth increased to an impressive 31.1%. Since the Corona crisis, the growth rate has continued to increase and is expected to reach a CAGR of 6.15% from 2022 to 2027. This shows that despite the initial challenges posed by the pandemic, the industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience and is well on track to continue growing in the coming years. In a global comparison, the highest revenue is expected in China.

In Germany, sales for package tours are forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 0.43% during the forecast period between 2023 and 2027. There are many suppliers for package tours, which have a large presence in the media, including large companies such as TUI, ab-in-den-Urlaub, Alltours and Expedia. Nevertheless, small companies such as local travel agencies offering package tours account for 20% of the market.

This study examines the structure of the market, consumer behavior, current trends and existing supply, including analysis of the competitive situation.