Evgenia Koptyug
Research expert covering the German market
Holiday residences in Germany - statistics & facts
Germany offers various travel accommodation options for tourists. With sixteen states in the country, each famous for its own landscapes, culture and history, there are plenty of places to stay. Some holidaymakers prefer serviced accommodation such as hotels, others may pick campsites to be closer to nature or hostels due to budget reasons. Another popular option are holiday residences. These can include both properties owned on a long-term basis by an individual or a family, in addition to the main place of residence, as well as homes or apartments rented to stay in during a vacation trip. Holiday homes provide vacationers with a certain amount of independence and flexibility, which is a particularly attractive choice in the time of travel restrictions due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The number of holiday homes in Germany fluctuated slightly during recent years, amounting to around 10,800 in 2019.
German holiday properties
Among German states, Bavaria in the south had the most apartments and homes classified as holiday residences as of January 2020. This is due to a combination of reasons. Bavaria, the state lovingly referred to as "abroad" by Germans, was among the most popular destinations for domestic holidays in the country. Famous for its lush, mountainous landscapes, largely due to part of the Alps stretching through the area, it is considered a getaway within Germany and is therefore popular for holiday home owners and renters. Those staying in holiday residences have varying preferences when it comes to the location of their property, with most picking the countryside, others looking for a home close to the beach or ocean. In fact, the number of people traveling to the North Sea in Germany had increased in recent years. The average price of a holiday home in a popular vacation area varied, going as high as 156 euros a night for a minimum of four people.Home away from home
While staying in holiday homes and apartments, whether regarding renting or a purchase for long-term ownership, can be considered expensive, depending on the financial standing of the tenant or owner, at the same time they may provide budgeting flexibility due to several factors. Arrangements may differ depending on the type of home, but in many cases costs which would normally apply in a hotel, for example, are left to the holidaymakers to plan as they wish: food shopping, cooking, cleaning during the stay, additional bookings. As of 2019, around 22 percent of German vacationers booked holiday apartments and houses for their trip, while some also stayed in private accommodation with friends or on their own property. The majority of Germans spent two weeks at their vacation home.
