Price increases - Study: More willingness to pay for leisure activities
Germans are reportedly willing to pay more for certain leisure activities despite inflation-driven price increases. This is according to a publication by the Hamburg-based BAT Foundation for Future Issues. A ten-year comparison shows that some prices deemed acceptable are above the value that would result from inflation.
For instance, while people were willing to pay an average of 23.70 euros for a restaurant visit ten years ago, they considered 31.70 euros reasonable in 2024 - almost 34 percent more. This is approximately ten percentage points more than the overall price increases between 2014 and 2024, as estimated by the foundation.
The representative survey was conducted by the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK) in both 2014 and 2024, asking 2,000 women and men aged 18 and above, "What should leisure activities cost?"
Why some activities can become more expensive - and others can't
Germans are least willing to pay a higher price for a visit to a water park. The foundation reports that the acceptable price increase from 2014 to 2024 was only seven percent. Baths should have been more moderate in their price increases because they compete with other leisure activities like fitness studios or amusement parks, the foundation said.
The largest price increase accepted by Germans since 2014 is for the collection after church service, with almost 50 percent more. While 2.10 euros were considered reasonable in 2014, it's now 3.10 euros.
The entrance fee for amusement parks follows in terms of acceptable price increases. Germans are willing to spend nearly 40 percent more than they did ten years ago. The foundation cites several reasons for this, including that park visits are often seen as special events, and visitors are willing to pay more. Additionally, amusement parks continually invest in new attractions to attract visitors, and these costs must be covered by higher entrance fees.
The reason for higher willingness to pay
The population, according to the BAT Foundation, considers acceptable and normal what they are accustomed to and encounter frequently. The foundation cited the behavior of people in France as an example: there, people do not complain about high food prices because they are common.
The results of the representative survey, conducted by the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK), reveal that The survey shows that Germans are least willing to pay a higher price for a visit to a water park, with an acceptable price increase of only seven percent from 2014 to 2024.
Despite inflation-driven price increases, Germans are still willing to pay more for certain leisure activities, as revealed in The survey conducted by the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK).
