36 REGION EUROPE
36 REGION EUROPE Phocuswright spotlights key European markets Research authority releases new reports underlining tourism market trends Phocuswright has released comprehensive reports on the eve of ITB Berlin, outlining major trends in Europe, with interesting spotlights on the French and German markets. Following is a small foretaste of their comprehensive findings. GERMANY WELL POSITIONED TO REMAIN EUROPE’S LARGEST TRAVEL MARKET Although revenue was projected to dip slightly to €61.4 billion in 2018, travel gross bookings will rebound in 2019, increasing 3% annually to reach €68.7 billion in 2022. Germany is experiencing strong economic growth and record low unemployment, which fell to 4.9% in October 2018, the lowest since the country’s 1990 reunification. German GDP rose 2.1% in 2017, which matched the European Union average and bested the United States. These economic trends are translating to domestic optimism, and German desire to travel hit a 10 year high in 2017. Nearly 60% of Germans took a holiday of five days or longer within the country. At the same time, German accommodation providers registered more than 140 million German guest arrivals, a 3% yearover-year increase. Germany’s reputation as a global travel destination is also growing, and international arrivals climbed 5% in 2017. Expanding numbers of tourists are coming from the Netherlands, China, India, Taiwan and South Korea. Germans venturing beyond their country’s borders favour nearby European destinations such as Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland and France. MODEST GROWTH PROJECTED FOR FRANCE Following several highly challenging years due to repeated terrorist attacks coupled with a weak economy, the French travel market began mounting a recovery in 2017. Since the election of reformist President Emmanuel Macron, the country has reduced its budget deficit to within European Union (EU) guidelines, while at the same time curtailing unemployment and EUROPEAN CONSUMER TRAVEL QUICK FACTS PERCENTAGE OF ADULTS WHO TRAVEL: 59 61 60 FRANCE GERMANY U.K. HOW MANY TRAVELERS IS THAT? FRANCE GERMANY U.K. ANNUAL TRAVEL SPEND ON AVERAGE: FRANCE GERMANY U.K. ANNUAL TRIP FREQUENCY ON AVERAGE: 2.4 2.5 RANKING OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM AMONG ALL DISCRETIONARY SPENDING: nd © 2018 Phocuswright Inc. All Rights Reserved. Phocuswright is a wholly owned subsidiary of Northstar Travel Group, LLC. st 2.8 FRANCE GERMANY U.K. FRANCE GERMANY U.K. restoring consumer confidence. Stronger security measures have also allayed concerns about terrorism, and the overall outlook for the travel sector is favourable. Leisure travel including inbound, domestic and outbound is on the rise. International visitors have returned, while French consumers have resumed their traditional pattern of taking a long summer vacation along with multiple shorter trips throughout the year. Business travel, st NEARLY 60% OF GERMANS TOOK A HOLIDAY OF FIVE DAYS OR LONGER WITHIN THE COUNTRY. particularly that associated with meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) has also recovered, thanks in part to the renewed economic stability. In addition, the government has intensified its efforts to support the tourism sector, announcing ambitious plans to grow international arrivals to over 100 million by 2020. While continued growth remains dependent on the terrorism situation in the country, events such as the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris should help cement growth in the medium term. Still, the outlook is not entirely positive. A series of rolling strikes by France’s strong public and private sector unions is adversely affecting the attractiveness of France as a destination. And given the importance of the UK as a major inbound market, continuing uncertainty over Brexit remains a worry. As a result, the French travel market is projected to grow modestly for the next several years, climbing from €47.9 billion in 2018 to €53.7 billion by 2022 by Phocuswright Inc. Source: Phocuswright’s European Online Travel Overview 2018 Hall 7.1c / Stand 101 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 27 th February 2019 www.itb-berlin-news.com
EUROPE REGION 37 BULGARIA ORGANISES “SPECIAL EVENT” @ ITB BERLIN The highlight of Bulgaria’s presence at ITB will be a special event organised for media and tour operators, representatives of travel agencies, key opinion leaders and influencers. The event will represent Bulgaria in a different and innovative marketing way - as a destination driven by tourist wish lists. The country is not only offering multiple tourism choices but paying more attention to the travellers’ feedback – preferences, holiday plans, lifestyle and “all that really interests people who travel”. The event will be simulating a virtual tour of the country – cities, cultural artefacts, landmarks, etc. This event for German-speaking media representatives and travel agents is a part of the integrated communication campaign of Bulgaria in the German market, that includes advertorials, outdoor advertising, radio campaign and online communication. The communication concept for destination Bulgaria is built on the aspects of the contemporary tourism marketing Hall 15.1 / Stand 101 Date: March 7, 2019 Time: 3pm – 4pm Location: M8 / Level 3 / CityCube Berlin NEW FLAGSHIP RESORT FOR MAISTRA COLLECTION IN CROATIA Welcoming its first guests in Spring 2019, the Maistra Collection’s new flagship hotel in Rovinj, Croatia is a new landmark of this historical city, positioned just across the bay from the Old town. The untouched nature, Mediterranean climate and indented coastline with its many islands, the gastronomic offer which earned accolades from the Michelin team, and the unique culture and history are just some of the qualities of Rovinj, Croatia’s top destination. The view from Grand Park Hotel Rovinj is indeed breathtaking, but the view of the hotel is no less remarkable. The cascading structure makes the hotel visually attractive and almost blended with the landscape. The six floors of the hotel contain 198 rooms and 11 suites with a sea view, some of which are up to 175 square metres in size. This latest five-star hotel promises an artistic luxury experience, wrapped in the local narrative and authentic culture Hall 1.2 / Stand 215 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 27 th February 2019
