FTI gone, Dertour booming: The tour operator sent significantly more Germans on winter holidays than in the previous year.

Tour operator Dertour says it has had a strong winter season. The industry's second-largest provider recorded a 31 percent increase in guests compared to the previous year, the company announced. "The strong guest growth is partly due to the redistribution of guest volumes across the market since the previous winter," said Dertour Product Director Sven Schikarsky.

Last June, FTI, the third-largest tour operator after Tui and Dertour, filed for bankruptcy and shortly thereafter canceled all previously booked tours. Dertour manager Mark Tantz said in December that they were expecting a total of 400,000 additional guests.

And according to Dertour, there are already numerous bookings for the coming winter season. For the winter of 2025/2026, a 22 percent increase in guests compared to the previous year has been recorded. The countries with the strongest growth rates are Egypt, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.

Last winter, however, vacations were most often spent on short- and medium-haul flights. The most popular destinations were:

1. Spain
2. Egypt
3. Türkiye
4. Germany
5. Poland

Those who booked a winter vacation with Dertour preferred a tailor-made trip. Demand for customized vacations increased by 58 percent, the report said. "The importance of personalization has increased in recent years," Schikarsky said. "Travelers today increasingly value having their personal interests and needs met."

Furthermore, according to Dertour, the desire for comfort remained unbroken: More than a third of vacationers (34 percent) opted for a 5-star hotel. Around half of guests (51 percent) booked a 4-star hotel. The share of 3-star hotel bookings fell to 15 percent.

According to Dertour, the average travel duration on long-haul routes was 13 days, unchanged from the previous year. On medium-haul routes, vacations lasted an average of 10 days, one day shorter than the previous year.