Tourism Breaking News
According to Mabrian, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Egypt are becoming the most popular destinations for autumn travel by German travellers. In the findings it is shared that German travellers are increasingly looking beyond traditional European destinations for their autumn getaways, with a noticeable shift toward long-haul destinations, including alternatives in the Middle East. According to Mabrian, the global travel intelligence platform part of The Data Appeal Company, demand for autumn travel to the region has surged, with countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt seeing significant increases in flight searches and inspirational demand.
These findings combine cyclical data about Germans’ autumn travel interests and motivations, along with inspirational travel demand data based on Mabrian’s Share of Searches Index, that reflects the strength of travel demand based on flight searches behaviour. Given a source market and a period of time, the Share of Searches Index is a percentage that correlates the total flight searches globally with spontaneous searches for specific destinations.
For this analysis, Share of Searches Index tracked flight searches in Germany, made at least three months in advance, for trips between September and November 2024, focusing on top performing destinations for the German travel market. “Unlike confirmed bookings, this ratio shows the degree of market interest in certain destinations,” says Carlos Cendra, partner and director of Marketing and Communication at Mabrian. “Whether reservations are confirmed depends on many factors, from available connectivity, flight and accommodation prices, or other phenomena that may influence travellers’ willingness to purchase or spend.”
Data also indicates that 2024 fall travel plans from Germans reflect a shifting trend, a slight readjustment of the yet strong demand to Mediterranean destinations, and a demand surge for alternative medium haul destinations in the Caucasus and Central Asia, some Nordic countries as well as in the Balkan Peninsula, and long-haul Asian and Middle East destinations.
The rise in German demand to Middle East is fuelled by direct air connectivity from major German cities, along with a growing interest in cultural and experiential travel. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have seen demand increase by +23% and +57%, respectively, compared to autumn 2023, while Egypt has experienced a remarkable +41% growth.
“Cultural heritage, combined with outdoor and luxury experiences, makes the Middle East a highly attractive destination for German travellers during the autumn season,” says Cendra. “Our data show that demand to United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia is driven especially from Frankfurt and Munich; while interest in Egypt is fuelled by demand from Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich.”
As Mabrian data demonstrates, Saudi Arabia, in particular, has emerged as a quintessential destination for Germans seeking cultural immersion and active travel, whereas Egypt’s increased German demand is driven by the country’s appeal as both a cultural hub and a destination for active and outdoor tourism. The United Arab Emirates is particularly interesting for Germans as world-class shopping experience, and as an active tourism and beach vacations spot, boosted by the growing connectivity from German cities.
A Broader Shift in German Travel Preferences for autumn
While traditional Mediterranean destinations continue to attract German travellers, “the growing interest in the Middle East reflects a broader shift in travel preferences towards active well-being experiences. German tourists are increasingly seeking unique, value-for-money experiences that combine cultural attractions, gastronomy, and outdoor adventures”, Cendra points out.
As, compared to the same period in 2023, German seasonal demand to Mediterranean destinations (Turkey, Spain, Italy, France, or Greece), even though still strong, stabilizes or slightly decreases; Asia, Australia, the Balkan Peninsula, the Caucasus and Central Asia, and some Nordic countries (Sweden and Norway) are seeing increased demand. In fact, the exceptions to this trend are Portugal and Tunisia, as seasonal demand from Germany increases 5% and 52% compared to fall 2023, respectively.
Several Asian countries rank in the top 20 most demanded destinations by Germans for autumn 2024, being India (+41% increase compared to 2023 fall season), Vietnam (+35% year over year) and Singapore (+26%), the ones seeing a strongest growth in inspirational demand ad flight searches, followed by Japan (+15% compared to 2023 autumn), Indonesia (+11%), and Thailand (+10%).
Other long-haul destinations seeing an increased demand for this autumn are Australia (+21% year over year, driven by an overall increase in demand in Germany); and exotic sun & beach destinations such as Maldives (+23% interannual growth) Mauritius and the Dominican Republic, as well as Sri Lanka (+9% respect to fall 2023).
The Balkan Peninsula, especially Croatia (+45%), Serbia (+25%), and Albania (+73%), are among the trendy destinations for German autumn getaways. Likewise, the Caucasus and Central Asia is growing in popularity as a fall destination, in particular Georgia (+9% more demand than in fall 2023), as well as Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan.
