The coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted travel behaviour over the last two years and will continue to do so in the near future.

But which developments and trends will endure? Statista’s February 2022 Global Consumer Survey (GCS) of more than 2,000 interviewees reveals the market’s trends and what to make of them.

ITB Berlin Convention 2022 - Statista

Travellers want greater flexibility

Since the pandemic began, flexibility has become an absolute ’must’ in the tourism industry. Whereas in 2019 a majority of travellers in Germany took over three months to decide on an international trip, now 28 per cent of tourists take one to three months, and less than 25 per cent need less than four weeks even.

Compared with pre-pandemic levels, trip cancellation insurances have increased by almost 10 per cent, while termination insurances have even risen by 20 per cent. The fact that customers want to be flexible is reflected in the use of online booking apps, which compared with 2019 has grown by more than 40 per cent.

This desire for flexibility was already evident in domestic tourism before the pandemic. According to GCS, more than half of German travellers decided on domestic trips a maximum of three months before travelling.

Read the full story at 4Hoteliers.com/itb