- Online marketplace Traum-Ferienwohnungen determines the destinations and routes of the German vacationers in the summer 2022
- Berliners stay in Germany most often
- Essen residents are the first to arrive at their vacation destination
The summer holidays have already begun in a handful of German states, and the rest will be following suit in just a few short weeks. This year, Germany is the most popular holiday destination for Germans once again. But Croatia and Italy – our longest-standing dream destination – are also in high demand. Regional differences play a big part in our summer choices, so we set out to investigate which holidaymakers are staying in the country, who’s going to Italy or the Netherlands, and which city dwellers you’re most likely to meet in Croatia. To find out more, Traum-Ferienwohnungen analysed the trips that holidaymakers from the 12 largest German cities are embarking on during the 2022 summer season.
It’s not clear whether it’s because of the reputation of the much-maligned Berlin Airport or due to the charms of the nearby Baltic Sea, but Berliners are the frontrunners when it comes to domestic holidays, with nearly 77% of them staying in the country and travelling an average of just 361 km – significantly less than the domestic average of 411 km. Only the residents of Hamburg and Bremen benefit from a more favourable location for going on holiday: Hamburgers have the shortest domestic distance to travel at 310 km, closely followed by the citizens of Bremen at 332 km. It’s perhaps not surprising, therefore, that around three quarters of the people of Bremen and Hamburg are spending their holidays within the country’s borders.
At the opposite end of the spectrum are the citizens of Munich, only 45% of whom are staying in Germany during the holidays. Lots of people from Stuttgart and Frankfurt are also being tempted abroad, with only a little over half remaining in the country. Croatia is one of the most popular travel destinations this summer. The country’s proximity is paying off for 30% of Munich’s residents in particular: The average distance to Croatia’s holiday spots roughly matches the distance that people from Munich are putting behind them to get to destinations in Germany.
The Netherlands has always been a popular choice for holidaymakers from North Rhine-Westphalia – for many, going through the Netherlands is their shortest route to the North Sea, after all. In fact, a good fifth of all the residents of Düsseldorf are spending their summer holidays there, travelling less than 300 kilometres to reach their destination. Only the citizens of Essen are getting to the beach more quickly, arriving at their holiday location in the Netherlands after an average of just 273 km.
Overall, the data clearly shows a connection between the popularity of countries for holidays and the distance people actually have to drive to get there. Only Italy bucks this trend, enjoying a huge amount of popularity throughout the German states. It seems it’s never too far to travel for a taste of la dolce vita.