The head of TUI, a German leisure, travel and tourism company, Sebastian Ebel, states that the era of cheap flights has definitely come to an end, warns of high prices and forecasts the end of last-minute bookings, in his latest interview with Bild TV. Mr. Ebel clarifies that this does not mean that Germans will not go on vacation, since they will still have an option of cheap holidays this year. "Countries like Morocco, Tunisia, Cyprus and Thailand show small changes in their prices compared to the previous year. In some Mediterranean countries, such as Spain, prices are cheaper than in Germany," he emphasizes.

According to Sebastian Ebel, TUI is experiencing extremely high demand for this year’s summer, the first one after the end of the coronavirus pandemic, with Greece being in the first place for bookings. "In some holiday resorts there are almost no available rooms left, for example, in popular hotels on the islands of Kos, Crete or Rhodes. On the contrary, there are still available rooms in Majorca, mainland Spain, and Turkey," he says.

Generally speaking, last minute booking will not prevail this year, as it has been the case previously. "On the contrary, just before departure, prices will likely be higher," says Mr. Ebel. Moreover, he adds that "hotels and airlines know that many bookings are made close to the travel date, so big last-minute offers will be the absolute exception."

Regarding air travel, there is also the further problem of reduced capacity at airports, as demand exceeds supply. "That is why those cheap offers in the context of promotional activities will no longer exist as they did in the past," the head of TUI clarifies.

Referring to the amount of money Germans are willing to spend on their holidays this year, Sebastian Ebel estimates an average of "1,200 euros per person." However, "our clients who book five-star hotels will do so this year as well."

Asked about the upcoming elections in Turkey and their impact on tourism demand, the head of TUI claims: "In Turkish tourist areas, people eagerly await German vacationers. For years, we have worked closely with many hoteliers and agents and we will continue to do so. Tourism is a very important factor contributing to the country's economy."

Mr. Ebel appears confident that the complications of last summer will not reappear at the German airports and he assures that TUI recently repaid approximately €4.3 billion, state aid received during the coronavirus crisis. This year, significant profits are expected for TUI. 

Regarding Cyprus, the new Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kostas Koumis, notices encouraging prospects from the German market, which is expected to exceed the 200,000 visitor threshold for the first time in 26 years. After all, Mr. Koumis’ first official trip after taking office was in Berlin, where the Deputy Minister led a Ministry delegation to the ITB Berlin, one of the largest tourism exhibitions in the world.

It is worth mentioning that in 2022, arrivals from Germany reached a record high of the past 20 years, with an increase of 31% compared to 2019. After his trip to Berlin, Mr. Koumis met with the German Ambassador to Cyprus, Anke Schlimm. The discussion focused once again on alternative tourism and German tourists’ preferences.