In the 1920s, Germans were able to travel for the first time thanks to secured and paid vacations. The National Socialists first invent mass tourism with “Strength through Joy” – this concept also leaves its mark on divided Germany.
By the mid-1950s, more West Germans were traveling than before the war. With the jumbo jet, tourist flows head for cheap destinations – Mallorca becomes the “cleaning lady’s island”. Since 1973, the majority of West Germans go on vacation every year.
In the GDR, organized tourism is subsidized, the travel market is under state supervision. It is not until the 1960s that individual travel gains in importance – the restricted freedom to travel also contributes to the demise of the GDR.
Today, almost three quarters of Germans go on vacation once a year. Tourism is a young form of travel – a journey without an obvious purpose.
Available for French and Spanish Speaking territories only
