FRANKFURT/BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The air and rail strikes in Germany are putting increasing pressure on the travel industry. "We are certainly seeing the increasing displeasure of travelers and, on our side, of course, the significant extra work in processing, which is putting a heavy strain on our teams," DER-Touristik Central Europe CEO Ingo Burmester told the German Press Agency shortly before the start of the ITB travel trade fair (March 5 to 7) in Berlin. However, the travel group has not noticed any uncertainty among guests that would be reflected in bookings.

"On the contrary: the desire for sun and beach is currently very high again," reported Burmester. According to his figures (as of mid-February), the number of guests from Germany for the summer has so far been 33 percent higher than in the same period last year. Booking turnover has risen by 47 percent. Measured against the pre-corona year 2019, the number of travelers from Germany is roughly at the same level as then and sales are higher. "We can therefore see that demand is continuing to increase; travel will remain a priority in 2024."

However, it will not become cheaper this year: "We are currently assuming low price increases in the mid-single-digit percentage range," said Burmester. Many travelers are now booking early again in order to benefit from early booking discounts. During the coronavirus pandemic, sun-seekers were reluctant to book early due to the great uncertainty.

No subsequent higher ticket prices due to ticket tax

Added to this is the planned increase in ticket tax on May 1. "The increase will of course be accompanied by higher flight prices," said the manager. The second-largest European travel group after Tui will not be increasing the price of flight tickets retrospectively. There are also still inexpensive alternatives, such as trips to Turkey or Tunisia.

According to Burmester, Turkey, Spain and Greece are once again the top three destinations for holidaymakers from Germany who have booked through the tour operator Dertour and its sister brands this summer. However, after past heat records in many Mediterranean countries, interest in countries in the north is growing. "Bookings to Scandinavia are increasing significantly this summer and are among the top 10 rising stars on short and medium-haul routes," reported Burmester./mar/DP/zb