Holiday apartments along the Baltic and North Seas are experiencing unexpectedly high vacancies - owners are outraged, calling it a "disaster"!
Tourism at the Baltic and North Seas: A Mixed Picture for 2025
Tourism along the Baltic and North Seas in 2025 presents a complex and evolving landscape, marked by economic pressures, shifting guest preferences, and alterations in booking behavior. These factors are influencing both visitors and businesses in the region.
Andreas Tedsen, CEO of DEHOGA Schleswig-Holstein, has reported that there are still free capacities in many Baltic and North Sea vacation spots. This is a testament to the ongoing demand for holidays, with Lars Schwarz, President of DEHOGA Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, confirming the changed booking behavior of guests. However, Schwarz remains optimistic about the upcoming season, stating that the desire for vacation remains.
One notable trend is the increased use of platforms and websites to quickly check availability. This is a response to the evolving booking patterns, where spontaneous bookings and cancellations are common among vacationers. These fluctuations, particularly same-day cancellations, pose a significant challenge for businesses, as highlighted by Schwarz.
The North Sea Tourism Agency (TANO) reports an occupancy rate between 75 and 90 percent, with variations depending on the region and time. Despite this, TANO emphasises that smaller businesses are more vulnerable to short-term fluctuations.
As for the type of holidays being booked, guests are staying for shorter periods and spending less. This is likely due to increased costs and the price development in the energy sector and general inflation making people more sensitive to travel and leisure spending.
In an effort to adapt to these changing circumstances, coastal hospitality businesses are modernising their operations. VELA Hotels, for instance, has adopted cloud-based platforms to streamline bookings and enhance guest services, introducing automated booking, payment systems, and planning to introduce self-check-in.
The region is also focusing on leveraging unique cultural experiences and local offerings to attract visitors. For example, coastal communities around the Baltic Sea are offering traditional fishing history tours and local seafood offerings. This strategy aims to create engaging and distinctive visitor experiences that cater to the growing preference for authentic cultural experiences.
The impact of calendar shifts, such as the moved Whitsun holidays in Germany, has been significant. This change has resulted in a 2.6% decrease in overnight stays in May 2025, a period traditionally busy for Baltic Sea tourism. This highlights the sensitivity of the market to timing changes in holiday schedules, affecting domestic travel demand and business revenues in holiday hotspots.
Despite these challenges, the tourism industry along the Baltic and North Seas is demonstrating resilience and adaptability. Businesses are responding to the evolving guest preferences and economic pressures, ensuring that they continue to cater to the needs of their customers while navigating the complexities of the current tourism landscape.
- Guests in 2025 are responding to changes in booking behavior by using platforms to check home-and-garden vacation spot availability quickly, resulting in spontaneous bookings and cancellations, posing a challenge for businesses.
- To cater to evolving guest preferences and address economic pressures, coastal hospitality businesses are adopting lifestyle-oriented strategies, such as automating booking and payment systems, self-check-in, and focusing on unique cultural experiences and local offerings.
