Greece will once again maintain its position among the three most popular holiday destinations for German travellers in summer 2025, as shown by current data from the German Travel Association (DRV) at this year's ITB Berlin. Alongside Turkey and Spain, Greece continues to attract strong demand, confirming its continued attractiveness for the German travel market.
According to DRV President Norbert Fiebig, Greece ranks third in the top 10 air package holiday destinations for summer 2025, based on the latest sales figures. The full list includes:
- Turkey
- Spain
- Greece
- Egypt
- Portugal
- Italy
- Tunisia
- USA
- Maldives
- Bulgaria
These figures illustrate the continued popularity of Greece among German holidaymakers.
Greece is also a popular destination at Easter
Greece is one of the top 2025 travel destinations not only in summer, but also for the Easter holidays 5. The most popular destinations for tour operators during the Easter holidays, which are in April this year, are:
- Türkiye (17 percent of total sales)
- Egypt (13 percent)
- Canary Islands (11 percent)
- Balearic Islands (8 percent)
- Greece (5 percent)
These rankings underline Greece’s cross-seasonal appeal to German holidaymakers.
Trend towards early bookings continues
A notable trend for 2025 is the shift towards early bookings. This behavior is partly influenced by the desire for low prices and securing availability in popular destinations. Fiebig emphasized that early bookings for Mediterranean destinations are significantly higher compared to the same period last year. "Germans are booking their summer holidays even earlier than before - early bookers are the new last-minute travelers," he noted.
By the end of January, summer holiday bookings were 11 percent higher overall than at the same time in 2024, indicating a clear shift away from traditional last-minute booking behavior.
High demand for Mediterranean holidays
Current demand shows a clear preference for Mediterranean beach destinations among German travelers. According to DRV data for the 2025 summer season, package flights to the eastern Mediterranean countries, cruises and long-haul trips are in even greater demand than last summer. Overall, holiday demand in the summer season (May to October) is leading to a sales growth of 12 percent compared to the previous year.
Around 62 percent of bookings up to the end of January were made through travel agencies or online travel portals that sell tour operator products, which underlines the continued popularity of traditional package holidays. "The popularity of well-insured, classic package holidays is growing again," said Fiebig. "Compared to last year, 6 percent more people have already booked a holiday with a tour operator."
Cruises and long-distance travel are booming
In addition to the Mediterranean, cruises are also seeing a notable increase in demand, with bookings for summer 2025 up 18 percent, partly driven by slight price declines. Long-haul travel, particularly to Asian destinations such as Thailand, is also experiencing above-average growth of 33 percent.
Price awareness of holidaymakers increases
Despite the strong desire to travel, German holidaymakers are becoming increasingly price-sensitive due to ongoing economic pressures. This trend is particularly evident in the increase in bookings for more affordable Mediterranean destinations. Fiebig explained that in economically uncertain times, "money is no longer so easy to spend - and this is also reflected in the choice of travel destination."
Nevertheless, the association president was optimistic about 2025 and noted that, according to surveys, almost a quarter of Germans plan to spend more on vacation.
Another interesting aspect is the trend of so-called "coolcation", where travellers prefer cooler destinations. Popular "coolcation" destinations include Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Finland, as well as Iceland, Canada and the Arctic. Norway and Sweden have already seen a significant increase in overnight stays by foreign tourists. According to an EU study, this trend could increase, although high prices in Scandinavian countries are an obstacle. Overall, tourism is shifting from the traditionally hot Mediterranean regions to cooler northern areas.