Research - IPK International - (Travel Daily News)

Global Travel Trends 2005

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Based on the new data from the 2005 “World Travel Monitor,” and as it does every year IPK International reveals:

Latest World Travel Trends

European Travel Trends

German Travel Trends

IPK International’s “World Travel Monitor” is the largest and in fact sole tourism study in the world to monitor the pulse of international tourism. The “World Travel Monitor” data derives from population-representative surveys taken in the individual source markets.

Latest World Travel Trends

On the global level, outbound trips rose by +5% in 2005. This growth was caused by increasing affluence, rapidly spreading low cost offers around the globe as well as by the Asian newcomers, still wanting to discover the world and having a large backlog demand for international travel.

All continents contributed to the worldwide increase in outbound trips in 2005.
African destinations were thereby at the leading edge registering a growth of +10%, followed by Asia with +7% growth. America (+6%) and Europe (+4%) also attained good growth in 2005.

European Travel Tends

The most dynamic European source markets in 2005 were above all Spain (with 15% more outbound trips) as well as Russia and Poland (with 14% more outbound trips each). Solid figures are also noted for the source markets Ireland, Norway and Denmark (with 8% more trips each) as well as France with +7%.

All continents contributed to the worldwide increase in outbound trips in 2005. African destinations were thereby at the leading edge registering a growth of +10%, followed by Asia with +7% growth. America (+6%) and Europe (+4%) also attained good growth in 2005.

In 2005, the Europeans took a total of 370 million outbound trips (+4% over the previous year), thereby spending 3.5 billion nights abroad (+2%). These outbound trips generated a volume of spending totaling 330 billion euros (+5% increase over the previous year).

Leaping +20%, the “city trip” segment achieved the greatest growth in 2005. Also the “winter (snow) holiday” registered an exuberant +12% growth. The segment “holiday in the mountains” exhibited a plus of 8%.The leading type of holiday for the Europeans – the “Sun&Beach” – gained +3%.

Spain and France were again the most popular outbound destinations for the Europeans in 2005, market shares here were 13% respectively 11%. Altogether more than half of all European trips were made to the destinations Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Great Britain and Turkey.

German Travel Trends

In 2005, the Germans took a total of 282 million domestic/ outbound trips, thereby
spending 1.4 billion nights away from home. In comparison to the previous year, travel volume thus rose by +3%, overnight accommodation volume by +1%.

The domestic/outbound trips taken by the Germans in 2005 led to a total spending volume of 120 billion euros (+2% increase).

In greater detail, the Germans took 206 million domestic trips and 76 million outbound trips during 2005. Compared to the year before, growth was +3% in domestic trips and +2% in outbound trips.

Holidays accounted for 47% of the domestic/outbound trips taken by the Germans, and reflect a +3% volume increase over the past year. The other private trips (at a 40% market share) recorded a +1% gain. German business trips also increased again in 2005 (+6%).

In 2005, the Germans took a total of 79 million domestic holidays, a +3% increase over the previous year. There was a somewhat higher rise (+4%) in volume for the German outbound holidays (55 million in total). Taken as a whole, aggregate growth in German holiday travel

With a market share at 16%, Spain was the leading outbound holiday destination for the Germans in 2005. Followed by Austria at 14% and Italy at 13%. France and Turkey also ranked among the “Top 5” outbound holiday destinations of the Germans in 2005.

Among domestic destinations, Bavaria was again the undisputed market leader in 2005 (commanding a 21% market share of all the German domestic trips). Lower Saxony ranks as the second most popular holiday destination while Baden-Württemberg comes in third.

World Travel Monitor Catalogue of Questions