As England become the bookmaker’s favourite to take the European football trophy home this summer, Trip.com has seen an unprecedented rise in bookings from the UK to Germany – up 1492% compared to the same period in 2019.

New research⁴ conducted on behalf of Trip.com shows pent-up demand for sporting events abroad. Findings indicate that Brits plan to spend a total of £8.5 billion to watch a sporting event in Europe this summer, of which £4.25 billion will be at the Euros. The research revealed the average fan will spend over £720 on their trip, from flights and hotels, to food and drink.

Millennials Lead the Way

Millennials are at the forefront of this travel surge, accounting for 53% of bookings. This generation’s passion for football and travel is expected to inject significant revenue into Germany’s hospitality sector, benefitting local economies in host cities.

Brit’s Berlin Spending Spree

Trip.com’s booking data shows that UK fans are targeting cities where the qualified home nations, England and Scotland, are set to play; namely Frankfurt (England), Munich (Scotland) and Cologne (England/Scotland).

Interestingly, Berlin tops the list of bookings, even though it isn’t hosting any home nation group games. This trend suggests fans are confident that their team will be progressing to the knockout stages in the tournament or perhaps featuring in the final.

British fans certainly appear more confident than other European nations. Berlin only made it to number two in the wider EU’s booking rankings, suggesting that British fans are more optimistic of a win than average.

Travel Considerations for an Unforgettable Summer

Whilst the research demonstrates the eagerness and spending readiness of British fans, it also sheds light on their primary concerns when travelling for international sporting events:

The biggest worry for Brits travelling abroad for sporting event are travel delays – with nearly a third (28%) citing this as an issue. This is closely followed by tourist scams (26%) and poor crowd control at the venue (24%). Other concerns include unexpected costs (23%) and language barriers (18%).

In response, Trip.com is enhancing its customer support with real-time travel updates, safety tips, budgeting tools, and multilingual assistance to address these concerns and ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for all travellers.

Andy Washington, General Manager for Europe at Trip.com Group said: “We are witnessing an extraordinary increase in bookings for flights and hotels aligned with this summer’s international sporting events. This surge represents a significant rebound for the travel sector, infusing optimism and vitality at a crucial time. We are confident this summer will mark a turning point, heralding a robust recovery after several challenging years. We look forward to an exceptional tournament and are hopeful that the home nations will provide fans with ample reasons to celebrate.”