Tourism 2025: Shadows over bookings despite high demand!

Tourism 2025: Shadows over bookings despite high demand!

The tourism industry in Austria is currently showing mixed economic development, despite good bookings in hotels, guesthouses and holiday apartments. According to a recent report by courier The companies recorded sales growth in the last two financial years. Nevertheless, many companies are struggling with reduced profitability. Challenged by rising personnel, energy and goods costs as well as a high tax burden, almost 40% of the over 200 companies surveyed see their financial situation deteriorating.

The Tourism Barometer 2025, developed by Deloitte and the Austrian Hotel Association (ÖHV), shows an overall score of 3.06 for the economic situation in the industry. This grade reflects a significant deterioration compared to the previous year. While demand is at pre-pandemic levels, the underlying sentiment remains pessimistic. ÖHV General Secretary emphasizes that the increased costs are pushing many companies to their economic limits.

Setting the course for the future

The uncertainties in the tourism sector call for action. This includes the need to improve efficiency and strategic pricing in order to stabilize the economic situation. The actors continue to demand measures against inflation and the reduction of bureaucratic hurdles. Lending is also a major problem; almost half of the companies surveyed have difficulty obtaining suitable financing.

Regarding future projects, 42% of companies plan to reduce, while 35% expect restrictions in the next five years. This could have long-term negative effects on the maintenance and further development of the operations. When it comes to borrowing, 39% of borrowers show a preference for variable interest rates, while 23% choose fixed interest rates and 38% choose mixed financing. Over a third of borrowers were also asked by banks to provide higher collateral.

Global context and trends 2025

In the international context, tourism figures show positive signals. In 2023, the industry worldwide experienced a slow but steady recovery from the Corona crisis. Sales and booking figures reached or even exceeded pre-pandemic levels in many regions. In Germany, the number of vacation trips rose from 65 million in 2023 to 71 million in 2024. ITB reports global international leisure and business travel sales of $4.7 trillion in 2024, with a forecast of around $5 trillion for 2025.

Despite the challenges posed by inflation and rising prices, people's desire to travel remains high. Major markets such as the US, France, UK and China are also seeing increasing demand. Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly central to booking processes and offers potential for efficiency gains. More than 70% of travel bookings are expected to be made online by 2027, challenging travel agencies' traditional business models.

The industry is therefore facing an exciting but also challenging future. Dynamics in new growth regions and the massive expansion of air traffic infrastructure in the Gulf states offer opportunities, while geopolitical uncertainties and climate change will bring new challenges.