Strategy & Impact: Behind the Scenes of the “European Travel Trend Report 2026”

8,231 respondents in 13 countries - the "European Travel Trend Report 2026" is much more than just a PR study. It is a strategic management tool that has set the course for the coming season just in time for ITB Berlin. We spoke to the DERTOUR Group about how the close integration of Appinio technology and the methodological support provided by our research experts made this success possible.

Presentation at the ITB press conference

APPINIO: A report that has to stand up to the world press at the ITB press conference needs absolute data security. Why was it crucial for you to rely on the personal full-service expertise of our research consultants to bridge the gap between hard data and media clout?

DERTOUR Group: It was clear to us from the outset that the "European Travel Trend Report" had to meet two requirements at the same time: the highest methodological quality and a clear, media-ready story. This is precisely where the methodological sparring with the research consultants from Appinio was crucial. Together, we honed the questionnaire so that each question is scientifically precise, internationally comparable and at the same time relevant for public discussion.

This close collaboration ensured that the results were reliable and at the same time clearly narratable, a decisive factor when you not only want to analyze figures but also present them to the international press.

APPINIO: Surveying 13 markets simultaneously is a logistical tour de force. How did our researchers support you in bundling the complex requirements of the individual country organizations and harmonizing them methodically so that a coherent overall European strategy was created in the end?

DERTOUR Group: The coordination of 13 markets would hardly have been possible internally at this speed and consistency. Appinio relieved us massively here. The researchers centrally managed the control of translations, the coordination of quotas and the country-specific methodological requirements.

This not only significantly accelerated the coordination processes with our country organizations, but also ensured that we had truly comparable data in the end. It is precisely this methodological harmony that forms the basis for deriving a reliable overall European strategy from national perspectives.

Speed and methodological substance

APPINIO: Speed is often the enemy of depth. To what extent has the combination of the agile platform and the human expertise in the background given you the necessary agility to react to market developments quickly without losing methodological substance?

DERTOUR Group: The combination of technology and personal expertise was the key here. The Appinio platform enables an extremely high speed from the field phase to the results. At the same time, the research team in the background ensures that this speed is not at the expense of quality.

For us, this means that we were able to validate current developments at very short notice and integrate the insights into our season and product planning in good time. This short time-to-insight gives us a real strategic advantage in a market that is changing ever faster.

Insights for strategic work

APPINIO: Beyond the PR successes at the ITB, how do you use the study results internally for your strategic work today? To what extent does direct access to the Appinio dashboard help you to democratically bring insights to all departments and make fact-based decisions?

DERTOUR Group: The report is not a one-off project for us, but a permanent source of work. Marketing, product management and sales access the data together and use it as a common basis for decision-making.

The Appinio dashboard plays a central role in this because it makes insights transparent and available in real time. As a result, discussions are based less on gut feeling and more on jointly accepted facts. This makes coordination between departments much easier and increases the speed and certainty of strategic decisions.

APPINIO: A project of this magnitude - from the initial methodical conception with our experts to the big stage at the ITB - sets new standards. When you look to the future, how will this new standard of speed and depth of data shape the way you work in the long term, so that you can not only follow trends in the future, but actively help shape them for your customers?

DERTOUR Group: This project has permanently changed our approach to market research. The combination of reliable research expertise and fast technology enables us to work in a much more agile, and at the same time more profound way.

For us, reliable data is a central building block, both for the credibility of our brand externally and for the security of strategic decisions within the company. If you don't just want to describe trends, but actively shape them, you need precisely this combination of depth, speed and methodological clarity. This will continue to be an integral part of our way of working in the future.

If you would also like to supplement your communication strategy with data, you can find our free guide here!