Tourism summit in Berlin: Future of package holidays in danger!

Tourism summit in Berlin: Future of package holidays in danger!

On Monday, June 2, 2025, the important tourism summit took place in Berlin, focusing on the role of foreign holidays for Germans and its influence on the economy. Representatives from politics and the industry discussed the continued popularity of package holidays and the associated challenges that affect the entire tourism sector.

A central topic of the discussion was the pressure on airports, which suffer from high cost and competitive pressure. Airlines are increasingly looking for alternative departure points, which could jeopardize Germany's accessibility and attractiveness as an aviation location.

Political attention for the tourism sector

Anja Karliczek, the new chairwoman of the Tourism Committee in the Bundestag, called for more political attention for the tourism sector during the opening speech. Your concern is based on the fact that millions of people in Germany are employed in tourism and this sector of the economy urgently needs increased visibility. Karliczek emphasized the need to better exploit opportunities in international markets such as Asia and Africa.

Another topic that came up was the problems of the catering industry. The economic existence of many companies is in danger, which also threatens jobs in this area. This was identified by various participants as a pressing issue requiring urgent solutions.

Popularity and threat of package tours

Christoph Debus, the boss of Dertour, expressed optimism about the travel year 2025 and sees stable development and an increasing desire to travel among Germans. However, there are concerns about the planned reform of the EU Package Travel Directive, which has the potential to make package holidays more expensive. Debus called on the federal government to become more involved in the EU process in order to avert negative effects on the industry.

Norbert Fiebig, President of the German Travel Association (DRV), emphasized the urgency of improving the economic conditions for the travel industry. Air transport in particular is of central importance as the backbone of the industry, as a loss of Germany's attractiveness as an aviation location could have significant negative consequences for holiday and business trips.

In summary, it can be said that the tourism summit in Berlin not only highlighted the current situation of package tours, but also the organizational and political challenges that need to be addressed in order to secure this popular form of travel in the future. While the desire to travel remains unbroken, the tourism industry faces major hurdles that need to be overcome.