GERMAN tour operators expressed optimism today, ahead of the opening of the International Tourism Exchange in Berlin (ITB), the largest tourism fair in the world, regarding the upcoming tourist season.

“Demand for travel is high despite inflation. German tour operators expect to achieve the record turnover from pre-coronavirus 2019.”, said the president of the German Association of Tour Operators (DRV), Norbert Fiebig, ahead of the official opening of the International Tourism Exchange (ITB) tonight in Berlin.

“We expect to achieve the figures from the record-breaking 2019.”

“The low point from 2021 is definitely behind us. We expect to achieve the figures from the record-breaking 2019.”, said Fiebig. He added that the recovery is also visible from the trend of early booking of arrangements, already in January and February.

Experts link the trend of growth in users who book in advance and “play it safe” with a change in citizens' behavior after the pandemic, during which individual tourists had a harder time obtaining their rights in the event of cancellations or problems than those who go through an agency.

“Those who book at the last minute could come up empty-handed this year”

The increase in early bookings reduces the number of packages that will remain available just before the start of the season. “Those who book at the last minute in the hope of getting a cheaper deal could come up empty-handed this year”, said Ingo Burmester, director of the company DER Touristik.

For the first time after the pandemic, ITB will open its doors tomorrow to the professional public without restrictions. The Croatian Tourist Board is expected to present the Croatian tourism strategy for the current season at a press conference on Tuesday morning, with an emphasis on sustainable tourism. The Croatian Minister of Tourism, Nikolina Brnjac, is also expected to attend the conference.

Source: index.hr