Tourism industry sees ‘remarkable’ growth

After crunching the numbers from the previous financial year, which ends on October 31 for the travel industry, tour operators are reporting a two percent growth, the German Travel Association (DRV) said.

DRV president Norbert Fiebig noted that cruises enjoyed a particularly good year, with their popularity expanding by double digit percentages.

Fiebig also said that the growth in spite of conflicts in Ukraine, Israel and Egypt, as well as the spread of Ebola and the rise of the terrorist group IS is "remarkable".

Strikes by train drivers at Deutsche Bahn and pilots at Lufthansa also impacted business on the domestic front.

"We now have situations here that we used to mildly ridicule other countries for," Fiebig said of the strike-plagued summer vacation period.

The DRV is holding its annual summit this week in Abu Dhabi to discuss future challenges for tour operators, which, increasingly, is digitalisation.

"The entire travel industry is currently experiencing a fundamental change," Fiebig said.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung also reported on Thursday that travel agencies are seeing a return in certain clients.

While most travellers still turn to websites if they are booking a flight or hotel, holiday-makers who want to book an all-inclusive package are increasingly doing so with the help of personal recommendations.

"This trend is contrary to what we expected," said Fiebig.