Future of Distribution
In 2024, Tourism Australia undertook a research project to unpack the post-pandemic complexities of tourism distribution.
Markets
Market insights snapshot - Germany
Learn about market spend and recovery trends, current buyer organisations, and consumer priorities for the Germany market.
Market trends
- Within Tourism Australia’s 15 key markets, Germany stands for a high quality visitor market from an economic point of view based on length of stay, spend and dispersal. Germany is Australia's top global dispersing market followed closely by France and Italy.
- In 2024, 164,000 (YTD Nov24) German residents travelled to Australia, 79 per cent of 2019 (207,090 in 2019 full year) and 10.8 per cent increase year on year with the majority travelling for leisure purposes.
- There is a significant growth in the luxury/premium sector, especially in Switzerland and Germany and operators specialised in this are reporting constant interest for Australia
- Online travel agents (OTAs) continue to play an important role in consumer booking to Australia
- Consumers tend to book more fragmented and book items of their trips with many different operators, such as key distribution partners, OTAs and/or airline direct.
- Major changes in the German distribution landscape: Insolvency of FTI Touristik in Germany in June 2024. Other changes: Increased focus by DERTOUR on Campervan travel through a bigger Campervan unit in Munich. Also, Explorer was taken over by Schauinslandreisen, Germany’s N° 3 Tour Operator, to that date without fully independent long haul product.
Buyer snapshot
- No new buyers this year from German-speaking countries but good quality buyer contingent.
- There will be 28 buyers (incl. 3 Platinum delegates) attending ATE from German-speaking markets. This includes 6 buyers from Switzerland and 1 Austrian buyer.
Consumer trends
- German out of region travellers are more likely to be male, predominantly living in the West, with half being high yield travellers. They predominantly travel as couple.
- Germans often decide their travel time based on when they can get time off work, and they plan most details within six months before the trip.
- The United States is the main competitor with the highest levels of salience, desirability, awareness, and consideration. Other successful long haul destinations include Japan, Southern Africa and Canada.
- Australia has seen an increase in consideration and awareness over 2024, whereas the United States has remained steady, so the gap is closing
- The key driver of destination choice is an appealing climate or weather.
- According to the CDP destination choice drivers for German consumers are: 1) Natural Wonders 2) Beautiful Natural environments 3) Friendly Citizens 4) Authentic Indigenous Experiences.
