Tour operators and travel agents in Germany achieved solid growth this year, while Egypt and Greece were the two big winners among major destinations, according to the German Travel Association (DRV).German tour operators increased turnover by about 4% this summer and by at least 2% for the full 2016/17 business year, according to sales analysis by market researchers GfK, DRV president Norbert Fiebig noted  at the annual conference held in Ras Al Khaimah late last week. The overall market growth will be slightly higher as the GfK figures only partly include cruise sales, he added. Moreover, most major tour operators and cruise firms had reported at least high single-digit growth, he pointed out.Travel agents remained the principal sales distribution channel in Germany this year, with low growth and “a good result” in financial terms, Fiebig said. However, bookings through Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and tour operator websites increased much more strongly by 12%. The number of travel agencies in Germany is estimated to have remained stable at 9,900 this year.Reviewing the performance of major destinations, Fiebig pointed out: “Egypt and Greece are the clear winners this year”. Tour operator sales for holidays in Egypt increased by 55% this year, although on the basis of a weak previous year. Greece, after a strong 2016, grew by a further 30% this year and overtook Turkey as the second-largest destination for German holidaymakers behind Spain. Morocco and Tunisia also recovered this year with high growth rates, while bookings were strong for Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus.Spain remained the leading destination for German tour operator customers this year after last year’s strong growth. However, there were varying trends for the main regions, the DRV observed. The Canary Islands and the Spanish Mainland both had low single-digit growth in terms of tour operator revenues. But the Balearics declined, according to GfK figures, suggesting that customers responded to higher prices and “extreme over-crowding” either by switching to alternative destinations or by booking online instead of through a travel agency.In contrast, Turkey again suffered a double-digit drop in German bookings, according to GfK data, despite good last-minute summer sales. “Turkey has lost half of its German visitors in the last two years,” Fiebig admitted. He voiced his concern about this trend, saying: “With its excellent value for money, Turkey is nearly irreplaceable. The German travel industry needs this destination.”Long-haul destinations were generally in stromg demand this year but the USA suffered a 17% slump in sales revenues (both for summer 2017 and the year as a whole). “This change is not only to be explained by the exchange rate but is possibly also based on a Trump effect,” the German travel association commented. More positively, Canada enjoyed a double-digit rise, but could not compensate for the US downturn.Looking ahead, the 2017/18 winter season has made a posotive start with a 2% rise in cumulated sales as of end-October, according to GfK figures. “The consumption climate is good, available household income is high and we expect further growth for the industry in the new tourism year,” Fiebig said.Winter bookings for the Canary Islands are slightly above last year’s high levels, Egypt is continuing its recovery and there is strong demand for long-haul trips to Asia (Thailand and the Maldives in particular), the UAE (+23%) and southern Africa, the DRV said. But bookings for the Caribbean are suffering from the impact of the hurricanes in the autumn.Read more here.RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism reportSource: fvw.com