After a winter with many corona restrictions, Germans want to travel again in the summer vacation - and many will get into their cars, not planes or trains. “We assume that holidays in Germany will continue to be popular. The demand is great in the North and Baltic Seas, but also in the low mountain ranges, ”says the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga). "The good weather now in June should have a positive influence on one or the other decision to go on holiday in Germany," said Ingris Hartges, General Manager of the German Press Agency.

The school holidays begin next week in Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg and Berlin, and the last ones to start at the end of July are Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.

“Car trips are on the upswing, and the trend towards vacationing in one's own country is continuing this summer,” reported Europe's largest tourism group TUI.

Road travel destinations are well booked

At the car travel destinations in Germany, Austria, South Tyrol and Istria, some of the coveted family rooms are already fully booked, said TUI Germany manager Stefan Baumert.

Vacation homes and campers are clearly popular.

Is there a threat of a “super traffic jam summer” on the German autobahn?

No, says ADAC spokesman Andreas Hölzel in Munich.

Considerable tourist traffic is to be expected on the motorways and holiday routes in Germany, but “we don't see a“ super-traffic jam summer ”because of this”.

The intensive tourist traffic does not begin until mid-July.

Until mid-August “there was always time when everything was red on the traffic cards.

It won't be that different this year. "

In the summer of 2019, the ADAC counted 594 traffic jams across Germany with a length of more than ten kilometers.

On the first weekend in August 2019, there were 63 mega-jams in Bavaria with a total length of 786 kilometers.

The worst was on the A8 Munich - Salzburg.

The destinations of car vacationers are the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, the Alps and low mountain ranges as well as Austria, Italy and Croatia, maybe Holland and France, said Hölzel.

But the hospitality industry cannot expand the number of beds at will, there are limits.

Occupancy rates are still in some regions

In some federal states there are also corona-related occupancy rates for hotels.

The obligation to test is only lifted everywhere in outdoor catering.

"Whether further access times with registration are required in breakfast rooms and wellness areas also depends on the progress made in vaccination and the incidence figures," said Hartges.

"Everything will be in flux in the next few weeks."

According to the experts, interest in air travel is also growing again. Rising vaccination rates, falling incidence values, more freedom to travel and a certain amount of catching up to do would come together. At TUI, bookings have exceeded the pre-Corona level of 2019 since May. Favorite destinations are Mallorca, Crete, Antalya, the Canaries and Greece.