Sustainable travel? Germans show interest, but prefer to fly!

Sustainable travel? Germans show interest, but prefer to fly!

A current study shows that although Germans' travel behavior is increasingly developing towards sustainability, the reality of climate-damaging air travel remains a clear contradiction. According to the Federal Environment Agency ( UBA ), 67 percent of those surveyed said that ecological or social sustainability plays an important role when traveling. This contrasts with the nearly eleven percent of travel bookings that have a sustainability label, which have doubled since 2019.

Despite these positive signals, sustainability is rarely the decisive criterion when making a specific travel decision. In only up to five percent of trips do Germans choose a particular offer primarily based on sustainability aspects. UBA President Dirk Messner expressed concern about this contradiction: “The increasing desire for more sustainability is counteracting the increase in climate-damaging air travel.”

Travel behavior and means of transport

The latest data shows that Germans traveled an average of 143 kilometers per holiday day in 2023 - a new high that beats the previous peak of 140 kilometers in 2019. The increase in long-distance and international travel in particular led to a record number of tourist transport services by plane in 2024, which has established itself as the most popular means of transport, followed by cars.

Wolfgang Günther, a renowned tourism expert, explains that most Germans are not motivated by sustainability considerations, but rather by the need to escape from everyday life and relax. This shows that the desire for sustainable travel is often overshadowed by other priorities.

Potential of the travel industry

The travel industry now has the opportunity to awaken new desires and promote alternative travel ideas through targeted communication. Customers' positive attitudes towards environmentally and socially responsible travel are clear, indicating that there is scope for change. According to the study, which was carried out by the Forschungsgemeinschaft Urlaub und Reisen e.V. (FUR) in collaboration with the Federal Environment Agency, changing travel behavior towards more sustainability is not only the responsibility of customers, but also challenges the tourism industry.

Overall, the analysis makes it clear that the desire for sustainable travel is growing in society, but the implementation and choice of travel means often take a different direction. The resulting challenges offer the industry numerous opportunities to become more attractive and sustainable. Further information can be found in the comprehensive report published on the FUR website: Travel analysis.