Reisemengden

Reisemengden is a term used in tourism research to describe the composition of travelers in a given context, such as a destination, an event, or a transportation corridor. The word combines reis (travel) and mengden (the crowd or mass) to denote the mix of travelers by variables such as origin, nationality or language, purpose (leisure, business, visiting friends and relatives), age, household size, and income level. The term is mostly used in Dutch- and German-speaking tourism literature, though equivalent concepts exist in English as traveler mix or visitor composition. It is not a universally standardized metric but a descriptive concept used to analyze demand patterns.

In practice, reisemengden is assessed through surveys, ticketing data, hotel occupancy, border statistics, and mobile data, often combined in segmentation models. An understanding of reisemengden supports destination management and marketing by tailoring services, pricing, and information needs. It also informs infrastructure planning, accessibility, and sustainability measures, as different traveler groups have different impacts and preferences.

Factors shaping the reisemengden include seasonality, visa and entry policies, price levels, flight and train connectivity, and marketing campaigns. Destinations with diverse offerings may display higher heterogeneity in reisemengden, whereas specialized destinations attract more homogeneous groups.

Critics caution that the label can mask intragroup diversity and raise privacy concerns in data collection. Nonetheless, reisemengden remains a useful shorthand for describing the composition of travelers that policymakers and businesses aim to serve.