Preliminary World Travel Monitor Results from IPK international for the ITB Berlin Message, 03/07/2007 Global Travel Trends 2006 Drawing on the new data from the 2006 World Travel Monitor, and as it does every year at this time, 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 2006. This growth was fueled in particular by overall positive economic growth, continued increases in low-fare offers as well as the fact that ever increasing numbers of people, particularly in Asia, have taken to discovering more of the outside world beyond their own national borders. IPK International World Travel Monitor Company Ltd. Gottfried-Keller-Str. 20 D-81245 Munich T +49 (89) 829237-0 F +49 (89) 829237-26 www.ipkinternational.com info@ipkinternational.com Tourism Research Tourism Marketing World Travel Monitor
All continents registered an increase in outbound travel in 2006. At 8% each, Asia and Africa recorded the strongest growth. Yet both America and Europe also recorded increases (+3% in both cases). European Travel Trends In 2006, the Europeans took a total of 388 million outbound trips (+3% over the previous year), thereby spending 3.7 billion nights abroad (+5%). These outbound trips generated a volume of spending totaling 351 billion euros (+6% increase in turnover compared to the previous year). 2
The most dynamic European source market in 2006 was Poland (with 17% more outbound trips) followed by Russia and Ireland (with 10% more outbound trips each). But also the source markets of Spain and Italy (each with 8% more trips) as well as the Czech Republic and Switzerland (both with +7%) showed aboveaverage growth. With a gain of 14%, the Event segment demonstrated the greatest growth in 2006. Countryside holidays also posted solid growth of 9%. The CityBreak segment recorded a 5% gain. The Sun&Beach holiday, the leading type of holiday for the Europeans, also gained another +4%. Again in 2006, Spain proved to be the most popular outbound destination for the Europeans, garnering a market share of 13%. France came in second in the ranking of most popular destinations, followed by Germany and Italy. All told, more than half of all the European trips were made to the destinations of Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Austria and Turkey. 3
German Travel Trends In 2006, the Germans took a total of 287 million trips (domestic and outbound), thereby spending 1.4 billion nights away from home. In comparison to the previous year, travel volume thus rose by +1%, overnight accommodation volume remained constant. The domestic/outbound trips taken by the Germans in 2006 led to a total spending volume of 122 billion euros (-1% decrease). In 2006, the Germans took 212.5 million domestic trips and 74.5 million outbound trips. In comparison to the previous year, domestic trips rose by +3%, contrasted by outbound trips decreasing -2%. 46% of all the domestic and outbound trips taken by the Germans were holiday trips. This percentage is unchanged from the previous year. Other private trips (with a 40% market share) meanwhile increased +2%. German business trips also showed a renewed intensity in 2006 (+6%). 4
In 2006, the Germans took a total of 80.6 million domestic holidays, a +2% increase over the previous year. Conversely, the volume of the Germans outbound holidays (52.5 million in total) decreased by -3%. When calculated as a sum total, the overall development in German holiday travel works out to ±0. With a market share at 17%, Spain was also the leading outbound holiday destination for the Germans in 2006. Followed by Austria at 15% and Italy at 13%. France and Turkey also ranked among the Top 5 outbound destinations of the Germans in 2006. Among domestic destinations, Bavaria was again the undisputed market leader in 2006 (commanding a 20% market share of all the German domestic holiday trips). Lower Saxony ranks as the second most popular holiday destination while Baden-Wuerttemberg comes in third. 5