Hotelplan reaches pre-crisis level again
Published: Tuesday, Nov 28th 2023, 14:01
Updated At: Wednesday, Nov 29th 2023, 00:58
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Tour operator Hotelplan Suisse has finally put the coronavirus pandemic behind it. In the 2022/23 financial year just ended (as at the end of October), the Migros subsidiary returned to the level of the last pre-coronavirus year.
In 2019, Hotelplan Suisse still generated revenue of CHF 572.9 million. This then plummeted to 211.9 million francs in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. The situation was even worse in 2021, when turnover slumped to 186.4 million francs.
In the last coronavirus year, business recovered as travel restrictions were increasingly lifted, resulting in an increase in revenue. Comparative figures are not available for 2022 because the business has since been restructured.
"I can announce wonderful figures today. We had a very good 2022/23," Hotelplan Suisse CEO Nicole Pfammatter told the media on Tuesday. There was particularly strong pent-up demand for beach vacations from February to October. Spain and Greece were the most popular destinations, with passenger numbers reaching 2019 levels. "The Mediterranean is our swimming pool."
Strong growth in the beach holiday business
Egypt in third place and Turkey in fourth place had risen sharply because there were many more flights again and both countries had done an incredibly good job during the coronavirus pandemic, said Pfammatter. Cyprus is lagging somewhat behind, which has to do with certain flight capacities that have shifted.
The volume business with the Hotelplan and Migros Ferien brands has seen incredible growth in sales and is better than in 2019, said Pfammatter. By contrast, the business of the specialist travel brands Travelhouse and Tourisme pour tous had not yet reached pre-pandemic sales levels. Cruises are also back at the same level as 2019.
In terms of individual travel, the USA and Canada are the two most important destinations. Thailand is making a comeback and is now in third place in terms of bookings, said Pfammatter. Finland is becoming increasingly popular.
Confidence for the winter season
According to Hotelplan, the desire for beach vacations is likely to continue in the winter season. "We got off to a very good start," said Pfammatter. Destinations such as Egypt, Spain, Thailand, the Maldives and the Dominican Republic are currently the most frequently booked.
However, there is currently a dry spell in Egypt due to the war in Gaza. "But we don't see any worrying developments," said Victoria Studer, Tour Operating Manager for Migros Ferien & Hotelplan. Overall, bookings in the beach holiday business are at the "expected level".
Australia also returned to the top 5 for individual travel during the winter season. "The country has suffered as a travel destination in recent years and bookings for vacations Down Under were slow to arrive after the pandemic," explained Pfammatter. This is because both countries only lifted the coronavirus entry restrictions relatively late. The fact that booking numbers are now rising again is therefore very pleasing.
Focus on sustainability
According to the press release, Hotelplan has further sharpened its focus on sustainability. For the "Travelhouse" and "Tourisme pour tous" brands, for example, the C02 footprint of the individual travel proposals is now shown on the websites. The company is also working with a clear catalog of criteria that defines which of the advertised trips are listed in the "Sustainable Travel" product category. The offer for the sale of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is also to be expanded.
Package tours by train, which have been on offer for around one and a half years, are becoming increasingly popular, with night trains accounting for around 15 percent. "The volume of bookings is growing steadily," says Nicole Pfammatter. The most popular destinations are currently Paris, Vienna and Amsterdam.
The exact figures for the 2022/23 financial year are to be published at the end of January 2024.
©Keystone/SDA
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