Regardless of new corona setbacks for tourism such as the lockdown in Austria and warnings for several countries, the tour operator Tui expects a relatively stable winter business. Many vacation spots that had to be taken out of the program a year ago can be booked again and are also in demand. “Unlike last winter, almost all flight destinations can currently be visited,” said Tui Germany boss Stefan Baumert. When it comes to winter bookings, classic destinations like the Canary Islands are ahead. Many customers continued to make decisions at short notice. Cape Verde also has potential, and Egypt sees “considerable catch-up effects”. When it comes to long-term destinations, the Maldives, the Dominican Republic and the United Arab Emirates with Dubai are in the first three places.
The ski season that is now starting could be a tremendous match. Strongly tightened pandemic rules in the wake of the Austrian lockdown are likely to affect many companies, according to the German Travel Association. There is hope, however, that the season after the end of the lockdown will start in mid-December and thus in time for Christmas. “The Austrian winter destinations are still well booked, as is Switzerland,” said Tui. For next summer, Germany’s largest tour operator is assuming that the pre-crisis level of 2019 will be possible “completely or approximately”. Especially for Mediterranean destinations in Spain, Turkey or Greece, the following applies: “All that we see in advance bookings is very encouraging.”