For the German travel industry there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Germans intend to spend more money on their vacations and relax their self-imposed belt-tightening of late. These are the findings of the latest representative survey by the ADAC on German travel behaviour in 2010.

According to the ADAC Reisemonitor 66 per cent of those polled have no intention of saving money on their holidays, 1.6 per cent more than a year ago. The number of people unwilling to spend on their next vacation has dropped, indicating that Germans are relaxing the purse strings this year. Only 35.9 per cent, 7.5 less than last year (43.4 per cent), intend to save money during the happiest weeks of the year. This positive trend, that is spending more money on one’s holiday, also figures among the decision criteria. According to the ADAC Reisemonitor survey nice surroundings (89.5 per cent) with a high recreational value (87.7 per cent) and a fair degree of local hospitality (82.8 per cent) are the main deciders. Cheap travel offers ranked last, with 55.6 per cent of those polled saying they were important.

“The tide has turned. People making holiday bookings are increasingly opting for quality and being on the safe side“, says Dr. Martin Buck, Director of the Travel & Logistics Competence Center at Messe Berlin and responsible for ITB Berlin. “Conscious consumer decisions have replaced bargain hunting. This is good news for the travel industry. Offering good value for money is an excellent way to help people make their holiday decisions“, he added.