Some 63 000 visitors at REISEN HAMBURG 2010
Exhibitors note substantial growth in interest in activity holidays

North Germans are not about to lose interest in holidays – that was quite clear at REISEN HAMBURG, held from 10 to 14 February. Some 90% of visitors said they would definitely go on holiday in 2010, as shown in a survey by an independent market research agency. City tours topped the list of favourites, followed by activity holidays and beach holidays. More than 900 exhibitors from all parts of the world presented a whole host of ideas for the next holiday and gave an overview of innovations in campers and caravans. Celebrities such as ex-cycling pro Erik Zabel and actor Erol Sander generated additional interest. A total of 63 000 visitors attended REISEN HAMBURG, the largest tourism and caravanning show in the North, which finished on Sunday after five days.

REISEN HAMBURG 2010 was affected by the terrible weather conditions, with icy, very slippery roads and pavements, continual snowfall, and large numbers of accidents all over North Germany. “But the mood among exhibitors was mostly positive despite everything,” said Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress (HMC), “because the visitors showed a great deal of interest in the wide range of holiday and caravanning offers, and made many bookings. Unfortunately, we are powerless to change the winter weather and the difficult situation on the roads.”

The demand for activity holidays of all kinds, from pleasure cycling to expedition trekking, was very much in evidence at REISEN HAMBURG. One visitor in three was interested in these programmes. The Globetrotter adventure camp was a real crowd-puller – its 16-metre high tree trunk attracted many visitors to climb right to the top. “We find there is increasing interest in sport climbing, and had lots of inquiries at the fair,” said Andreas Krüger, Event Manager at Globetrotter.

Another major attraction at REISEN HAMBURG was “Cycling and Cycling Tours”. “The fair exceeded our expectations. There was tremendous interest in electro-bikes and folding bikes,” said a delighted René Baumann, Managing Director of Harry’s Rad Station. His sector was benefiting from the fact that more and more people are opting for bicycles rather than cars, e.g. for reasons of cost. He underlined in particular the positive reception for the test circuit in the cycling area.
Satisfaction was also expressed by Tom Soltau, Sales Manager at Fahrrad Center Harburg, highlighting the “interest and purchasing power of visitors”. He also mentioned the positive effects from having cycling and caravanning in the same hall.

The DAV Summit Club, that is the German Alpine Club’s tour operator, was a first-time exhibitor at REISEN HAMBURG. “We are delighted with the North German public, who put very specific questions about our range of walking and cycling holidays,” said Michael Roepke, the deputy Managing Director. The fair is right in trend with its focus on activity holidays.” Apart from basic alpine courses, there is strong demand especially for alpine crossings and new trekking programmes.

The main focus at Wikinger Reisen, an activity holiday specialist, was combination of outdoor life and culture. “The public in Hamburg are very keen on culture, and our programmes in Armenia, Romania and Albania were very well received,” said David Schulte, the stand manager. He was very pleased with bookings taken at the fair. “We also sold a lot of long-distance trips.”

Activity holidays were also a key area for people looking for holidays in Germany. Packages for walkers and cyclists were very much in demand at the Munich/Upper Bavaria stand. “There is still a strong upward trend for holidays in our own country,” said Franz Reil, Project Manager General Interest Trade Shows at the Tourism Association. “Especially here in North Germany, where many holiday makers who have been to Bavaria before are specifically asking about holidays in Bavaria.”

The trend towards activity holidays was clearly evident at Hamburg Tourismus, too. “Our thematic stands on “Aquatic holidays” and “Cycling” were constantly crowded,” said Sandra Engel, Head of Marketing Services and Joint Ventures.
Lüneburg Heath scored a lot of points with its new Ilmenau Cycle Track. But, as Regional Manager Thomas Neubert noted, holiday makers have become more price conscious – “Inquiries for accommodation are moving from the premium segment to the mid-range segment. And we are expecting bookings to be later this year.”
The Harz Tourism Association sees REISEN HAMBURG as one of the most important tourism fairs. “We had a large number of inquiries for spontaneous short winter trips, walking holidays and family arrangements,” said Marketing Manager Maren Wienecke-Pesch.

Detlev Koch, Sales Manager North Germany at Thomas Cook, also sees travel potential for 2010 as positive – “Germans want to travel, and many of them want to travel up-market. Specifically, we had a lot of cruise holiday inquiries and sales.”
Delphin Cruises reported numerous bookings, with fair visitors especially keen on the North Sea and Baltic Sea routes, and expeditions to the Antarctic.

Holidays in Eastern Europe are becoming more popular and better known, which is benefiting Poland. “Demand was extremely high,” said Ewa Duchowska, Deputy Director of the Polish Tourist Office, “especially for family seaside holidays, and also for activity holidays and city tours.”
Despite a drop in visitor numbers last year, Spain is still the favourite foreign destination for Germans in 2010, as shown by the 26th German Tourism Analysis, which was presented on the first day of REISEN HAMBURG. The Spanish Tourist Office was delighted at the lively interest in classic seaside holiday destinations, especially the Balearic Islands and the Canaries. “And city trips are also very popular,” said Marketing Manager Stefan Schmidt.

There were big smiles at the stand of the Visit USA Committee Germany: “Bookings for the US got off to a great start in 2010, and that is confirmed by the tremendous demand at the fair,” said Office Manager Florian Renner. He felt that was due to the favourable exchange rate, the “Obama effect”, and price cuts as a result of the weakness of the US domestic economy.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) notes an increase in travel to South-East Asia, encouraged by the price sensitivity of Germans at this time of economic uncertainty. At the same time, as emphasised by Anja Kathrin Herzberg (PATA), people in Hamburg are not looking primarily for low-cost holidays, and they are interested in round trips, for example to Vietnam and India.
ASA (Travel Association for Southern and Eastern Africa) feels that demand for long-distance trips is not badly affected by the world economic situation. But, as Stand Manager Andrea Münster noted, holiday makers are comparing offers much more carefully than they used to. Destinations in particular demand were Uganda, Namibia and South Africa. “The football world cup is increasingly putting the focus on this destination, and we certainly noticed that at REISEN HAMBURG.”

Major attractions among the caravanning exhibits included the Topliner from Phoenix at Reimers Reisemobil. Managing Director Frank Reimers identified a clear trend towards the luxury models. Despite lower visitor figures on the first days of the fair, due to the weather conditions, he felt that exhibiting here was well worthwhile – “The presentation area is ideal. And I think the second-hand hall is a very good idea.”
Marco Stephan, Managing Director of Caravan Stephan, was pleased at the good business done at REISEN HAMBURG and also confirmed increased demand for high-end models.

The next REISEN HAMBURG will be held at the Hamburg Fair site from 9 to 13 February 2011. For further information, please visit the website www.reisenhamburg.de

(last Update: 14.02.10)

Editorial:

Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH
Gudrun Blickle
 

+ 49 40 3569-2442

gudrun.blickle@hamburg-messe.de