With its agenda for the Bundestag elections, the German Travel Association (DRV) is presenting clear demands to the future federal government during the election campaign.

For the travel industry, there is a need for action in numerous policy areas. “It remains crucial to prevent over-regulation and further distortions in competition. We need stability and predictability for our business - and therefore political reliability,” demands DRV President Norbert Fiebig. Above all, the outgoing business, which is immensely important not only for travel agencies and tour operators but for all companies in the travel industry, should not be made more difficult by additional burdens. “The future of the travel industry is at stake,” emphasizes Fiebig.

The DRV's political demands focus on better framework conditions, less bureaucracy, strengthening business with international travel and the business travel segment as well as Germany as a mobility location. The industry association is also calling for more effective representation of German industry interests at Brussels level by the federal government.

In its agenda, the DRV has compiled six urgent fields of action as core demands for the new federal government:

1. For a lean package travel directive and a reduction in bureaucracy

2. Support outbound tourism as a stabilizer

3. Strengthen Germany as a mobility location

4. Reduce travel barriers and speed up visa processes

5. Improve framework conditions for business travel

6. Strengthen networking and cooperation with explicit consideration of outbound tourism.

The travel industry is not only an important economic factor for Germany and a mainstay for securing jobs, but also an important pillar of consumption despite all the economic challenges. Germans take around 65 million vacation trips and 116 million business trips every year. 78 percent of vacation trips are abroad. “It is important that politicians take the right political steps to strengthen the economy. Travel activity must not be slowed down and consumer sentiment must not fall. This is what we hope for from the new government and this is what we are working towards,” emphasizes DRV President Fiebig and stresses: ”The economic success and development opportunities of the travel industry are largely dependent on the political framework.” In recent years, the travel industry has had to struggle too much with legal requirements and increasing bureaucratization.