Summer is not a single-point occasion like one holiday, but a long window with two very different advertising worlds. On one side the trip, planned and booked, often weeks in advance. On the other side the spontaneous leisure on your doorstep, from the beer garden to the outdoor pool, strongly driven by the weather. Those who keep the two apart can set their campaign on exactly the right logic. This article is part of the series on audiences by occasion.
Why summer has two advertising worlds
Travel is firmly anchored in German life. According to the Travel Analysis 2025 by the Research Association for Holidays and Travel (FUR), a representative study of around 12,000 respondents aged 14 and over, 80 percent of people took at least one holiday trip of five days or more in 2024, a record high with over 56 million holiday travellers. On top of that came, according to FUR, around 94 million short trips of two to four days. Foreign destinations lead with a 76 percent market share; domestic destinations reach 24 percent, with the North and Baltic Sea coasts and Bavaria as the most popular.
Two figures matter especially for advertisers. First, around 58 percent of holiday trips were recently booked online, so the travel decision is increasingly digital. Second, the large block of short breaks and day trips is strongly regional. Together this means that both nationwide travel providers and local leisure providers face a large, receptive audience in summer, only with different timing.
The key audiences in summer
The holiday planners. They research and book their summer trip often as early as spring, and mostly online. Travel regions, hotels, holiday apartments, campsites and tour operators reach this group via streaming while they are getting inspired. The big screen is well suited to charge a destination emotionally before the booking is made.
The domestic and short-break travellers. Domestic tourism and the huge market of short trips are strongly regional. Holiday regions, day-trip destinations, theme parks and hosts can specifically address the source regions their guests travel from. How streaming can be targeted precisely to such regions is shown in the article on regional targeting in streaming TV.
The summer enjoyers on site. Beer garden, ice cream parlour, outdoor pool, café and restaurant live in summer off the passing trade from the surrounding area, and demand fluctuates with the weather. For these local providers, regional targeting is the most important lever to reach the people in their own town.
The grill and garden fans. Summer moves life outdoors. Beverage retail, grill and garden supplies, DIY stores and furniture retailers benefit from the desire for a nice garden and a well-stocked terrace. This group is purchase-ready and easy to narrow down by interests.
The event and festival goers. City festivals, open airs, concerts and summer events shape the calendar. Organisers, hospitality and local retail can specifically address those looking for a programme for balmy evenings in the region.
How to play it with onescreen
The key in summer is not to mix the two worlds. For travel, lead time counts: anyone advertising a holiday region, hotel or holiday park should be present when planning happens, meaning earlier than the actual season. For local leisure, proximity counts: you target a beer garden, outdoor pool or city festival tightly by postal code, so that no budget flows into regions no one comes from. With onescreen you reach both specifically by region, age, gender and interests on the big screen, non-skippable and with full attention.
One thing stays important: expectations. Whether a booking or an outing, the action rarely happens directly in front of the TV, but on the smartphone or on site. Streaming advertising builds demand and puts you top of mind before the destination or outing is decided. Why relevant attention counts for more than sheer reach is explored in the article Attention Over Reach.
Conclusion
Summer is the longest and most varied season of the advertising year. It splits into the planned trip, decided early and mostly online, and the spontaneous leisure on your doorstep, which lives off the weather. Travel providers win with lead time and emotional inspiration, local providers with tight regional targeting. Those who separate these two logics and use the big screen accordingly turn one long summer into many targeted campaigns.
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FAQ
Who do I best reach in summer via streaming? Two large groups: the holiday planners, who mostly book their trip online and in advance, and the local leisure guests of the beer garden, outdoor pool, ice cream parlour or city festival. Plus grill and garden fans and the event audience. Targeting is done specifically by age, interests and region.
How do Germans travel in summer? According to the FUR Travel Analysis 2025, 80 percent took at least one holiday trip of five days or more in 2024, plus around 94 million short breaks. Foreign destinations lead with 76 percent, domestic reaches 24 percent. Around 58 percent of trips were booked online.
When should I start my summer campaign? For travel offers early, often as early as spring, because booking precedes the holiday. For local leisure offers, continuously through the season, because demand depends strongly on the weather.
Is streaming advertising worthwhile for regional day-trip destinations and local hospitality? Yes, especially for them. Through targeting by postal code you reach the people in your source region or catchment area, instead of scattering budget widely.