Booking record for long-distance travel over the holidays

This is also confirmed by the managing director of the tour operator Dertour Austria, Martin Fastthe KURIER: “For many people today, spending Christmas in the warmth and on the beach is an alternative to the traditional Christmas celebration at home.”

This season his company records the highest booking numbers in history.

Maldives, Thailand, Mauritius

Long-distance trips to Asia or Africa are particularly popular: in the travel company’s country ranking Ruefa are the Maldives the top destination for the start of winter, followed by Thailand and Mauritius.

They also confirm this Austrian Airlines. Their flights to are almost fully booked Bangkok – with a frequency of up to 13 flights per week during the holidays.

They are on the middle distance Canaries at the top, behind Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (above all Dubai).

Hardly any free capacity left

At the travel agency company World Business is also “excellent” at the start of winter, according to the managing director Gregor Kadanka in conversation with the KURIER.

There is now hardly any free capacity to travel further afield.

Although the trend in recent years has been increasing short-term vacation planning bookings for the Christmas holidays are always made very early and around six to twelve months in advance.

This is the only way to guarantee that the desired destination or resort is still available, says Kadanka.

20 percent more travelers

Also at TUI Austria The booking situation for the holidays is developing “very positively,” according to the managing director Gottfried Math communicated upon request.

The world’s largest travel company records the number of guests an increase of 20 percent to the previous year. Especially those USA are becoming increasingly popular as a winter travel destination with TUI.

According to Math, one reason for the good booking situation is the rising costs of ski holidays. Beach holidays are often particularly popular with families better price-performance ratio offer.

Weather is crucial

The weather in this country also plays a decisive role in the question of where Austrians spend their vacation in winter.

Mild weeks with little snow at the start of the winter sports season could lead to a decline in bookings for ski holidays.

At the same time would then alternative travel destinationswhich are attractive regardless of the weather, become more interesting, says Math.

Economy not noticeable

The tour operators don’t notice the austerity of Austrians because of general inflation. It’s much more than that Catch-up effect after the pandemic is still noticeable and is one of the reasons for the good booking situation, says Fast.

Dertour’s customers are prepared to invest a lot to relax over the holidays: barely 2,000 Euro per Person costs five days in the Maldives, the same time in Thailand is around 1,750 Euro per Person (each including flight).

At TUI, too, there is no noticeable restraint in holiday spending: customers spend on average 2,500 Euro per Person for the Christmas holiday.

Most of them are couples, followed by families who want to use the school-free time to travel.

Vacation is an “inviolable asset”

For Kadanka, who is next to Mondial Association of Travel Agencies of the Chamber of Commerce vacation is “an inviolable asset and is booked even in tense times.”

For this reason he also notices no declines due to thrift.

“The desire for variety, adventure and escape from everyday life is remarkably great in Austria and of course we are above that after many difficult years more than happy.”