First results of the study on the long-distance travel behavior of Germans in times of crisis published

Against the backdrop of multiple crises (COVID-19, war in Ukraine, climate change, inflation), there is much discussion about possible adjustments in travel behavior. Long-haul destinations such as South Africa in particular appear to be becoming less attractive for German travelers as a result. Against this backdrop, the German Institute for Tourism Research at the FH Westküste University of Applied Sciences, together with the research institute “Research in Economics, Environs and Society: TREES” at the partner university NWU in South Africa, has carried out an independent research project to investigate how Germans currently feel about long-distance travel and how they perceive long-distance destinations. The first results of the study have now been published in the form of a free chart report. The results show that Germans with a general intention to travel abroad in the next three years have extensive experience of long-distance travel, defined as travel outside Europe and the Mediterranean region, and that more than half of those surveyed are seriously considering doing so in the next three years. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, around one in three respondents undertook at least one long-distance trip. When asked whether the desire to take a long-distance trip is greater than three years ago, i.e. in the “pre-crisis period”, the picture is divided: around 40% (top 2 values) show an increased interest in long-distance travel, but around the same number show the opposite picture. The crises can therefore lead to both increased wanderlust and greater restraint. The main motives for long-distance travel are experiencing nature and new impressions (72% each) as well as relaxation (68%), well-being and escape from everyday life (64% each). The youngest age group (18-29 years) has the greatest interest in long-distance travel across all questions, while the 60-74 age group has the least. It also shows that people with a medium level of education and a medium to high income are particularly interested in long-distance travel in the next three years. In addition, respondents who consider themselves to be more risk-averse have a significantly higher affinity for long-distance travel (past travel and plans for the next three years). People who state that it is important to them to keep their environmental footprint low when traveling generally have a less positive perception of long-distance destinations than those who are less concerned about their environmental impact. At the same time, however, the group with a high importance attached to environmental sustainability shows significantly more intensive long-distance travel behavior in the past and future interest than people for whom the ecological footprint is less important. This illustrates the large gap between attitude and actual behavior that is repeatedly observed when it comes to sustainable travel. The example of South Africa as a travel destination was used to investigate how the interaction of psychological aspects (e.g. perception of the acceptance of long-distance travel in the social environment or one’s own control over the realization of a long-distance trip) affects long-distance travel wishes and intentions. A preliminary evaluation of the results shows that the majority of respondents have a generally positive attitude towards South Africa as a travel destination and are interested and excited about the prospect of experiencing the country as a travel and tourism destination.

Support for a trip to South Africa from their reference groups (social norms) is viewed rather critically. However, this aspect does not seem to influence their perception of South Africa too much. However, a central key to tourists’ decision-making is also their perceived ability to actually carry out the action – in this case, to travel to South Africa. This perceived behavioral control could be particularly affected by the current times of crisis. In terms of health issues (especially Covid-19), the majority of respondents feel fairly confident that they have all the information they need. This no longer seems to be a major obstacle to traveling to South Africa. However, only a third of respondents feel that they can financially afford such a trip given the ongoing war in Ukraine and increased energy costs. Interestingly, around half of respondents said they were concerned about crime in South Africa and the majority are also aware that the carbon footprint of travel to South Africa cannot be kept low. These aspects could therefore become relevant in a real travel decision situation. Further multivariate analyses are now planned in order to investigate the interaction of these individual aspects in greater depth. The survey was conducted online in mid to late November 2022 via the Bilendi consumer panel within the German-speaking resident population aged 18-74 (quota by age, gender, federal state and level of education) with a general intention to travel abroad within the next three years and awareness of South Africa at least by name.