Today, Bitkom released the results of a representative survey on travel cancellations during the Corona pandemic. According to the results, around 40 percent of German consumers canceled their vacations due to corona-related travel restrictions.
For this study, Bitkom Research, on behalf of the digital association Bitkom, interviewed a total of 1,002 people in Germany aged 16 and above by telephone in June 2020 regarding their vacation plans and respective cancellations during the corona pandemic.
These are further details:
- Due to the corona pandemic, 40 percent of German consumers cancelled their vacation trips – most of them canceled their accommodation in hotels or holiday apartments (63 percent) or complete vacation packages (50 percent).
- Flights (21 percent), train tickets (14 percent) and rental cars (five percent) were also cancelled.
- Two thirds of those affected carried out their cancellation partially or completely online – either on the travel agent's website (42 percent), by email (37 percent), by app (four percent) or by messenger service (two percent).
- Another 31 percent submitted their cancellation offline – either by letter (34 percent), by phone (30 percent), in person at the travel agency (26 percent) or by fax (eight percent).
- While 41 percent of respondents received a full reimbursement of their cost of travel, an almost equal share of respondents (40 percent) were merely compensated with a voucher.
- 19 percent of the affected holidaymakers received a partial reimbursement while financial compensation is still pending for another 20 percent. Two percent of respondents have not received any reimbursement so far.
Bernhard Rohleder, Bitkom CEO, said: "The Corona virus and global travel restrictions have made traveling to many countries impossible or very difficult this year. Even though some of the restrictions have been eased now, many people do not want to go on vacation because of concerns about infections at airports, train stations or due to local tourist crowds. The easier and less complicated cancellations are at present, the more satisfied the customer is – and the sooner he will decide to book a trip for the fall, for example."
Source: Bitkom
More information