As the coronavirus pandemic levels off, the desire to travel is gradually picking up again. In 2022 alone, more than 20 million Germans traveled for more than five days at a time at least once – and the trend is rising. Industry experts expect travel levels next year to be close to pre-pandemic years. We Germans love to travel, just like many other countries do.
Mass tourism: problems for locals and tourists
The problem: Many destinations are already collapsing again under the recurring mass tourism. Recently, the communities around the Way of St. James have sounded the alarm because the pilgrimage path is slowly but surely developing into a party mile. And it’s not just the residents of the popular vacation spots who suffer when too many travelers flock to the hotspots – the vacationers themselves also have significantly less pleasure in beautiful places and valuable sights when they first have to push their way through crowds.
A good reason to venture out of your own (travel) comfort zone and head for European travel destinations that are not yet as touristically developed as Mallorca, Sweden or Lake Garda. In the picture gallery you will find a few ideas for underrated and undiscovered travel destinations in Europe that are at least worth a visit.
source: German Tourism Association, Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, focus on tourism