Germany plans to attract International visitors

The country is now one of the top five destinations in Europe. Its focus is now on mindful travellers, emphasis on sustainability and creating an experience that blends nature with culture.

Germany climbs the charts of being one of the most preferred destinations for inbound travellers as the desire to travel internationally continues to increase in the post-pandemic world. The country ranked fourth in Europe as a go-to destination for tourists. Europe’s hot destinations include Turkey, France, Spain followed by Germany. In its annual conference, GNTO, India shared the travel trend analysis (globally and for the India market). The press conference showcased India as an important market for inbound travel to Germany with genuine hospitality to inspire potential Indian visitors to Germany.

The most popular and hot destination state in Germany is Hessen, accounting for about 25.2 per cent overnight stays, followed by Bavaria and Berlin, respectively. Along with these cities, Germany’s landscape is dotted with culturally vibrant towns and islands that boast of an experience like never before. Germany’s very interesting strategy of blending Nature with Culture to provide a holistic experience has attracted visitors from far and wide. The country is inviting visitors to experience and embrace the German culture that is a blend of authenticity and modern art and is naturally beautiful.

Germany ranks number one in health and hygiene, one of the top most and vital factors that travellers are looking for, especially after the pandemic. In comparison with 140 countries across the globe, Germany did excellent in bagging positions across categories: ground transport and infrastructure, tourism infrastructure, safety and security along with cultural resources, education and environment.

Sustainability has emerged as a mega trend in tourism in recent years and has been largely amplified by the pandemic. About a quarter of Indian visitors deeply value and give considerable thoughts to the sustainable aspects of their travel. The country has valued sustainability and is driving changes along various fronts: locally sourced food, reducing and eliminating plastic, nature parks and biospheres, cycling routes and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. City tourism has witnessed magnanimous growth and has been a preferred form of travel in the post-pandemic world. More than half of the tourists adore Germany’s climate and weather round the year. The country enjoys pleasant weather round the year and has thus become a prominent choice in the list of visitors.

Another piece of good news for travellers in Germany is tax-free shopping and the country invites travellers to take advantage of the tax-free shopping plans and shop to their heart’s content.

Based on the consumer surveys, visitors have shared their satisfaction levels as optimum and value for money. The concept of ‘revenge-tourism’ has accounted for more international visits than domestic, reveals the survey. Germany offers a plethora of options to explore, ranging from sightseeing and experiencing art and culture coupled with landscape and architecture. Culinary delights, traditional craftsmanship and Germany’s unique and exquisite local culture attracts visitors across the globe.

Specific to Indian travellers, Germany accounted for 9 per cent of European trips of Indians. 55 per cent of Indian tourists visit Germany for leisure while 38 per cent travel for business. The ease of direct flights (international travel) and trains (travel within Europe) has been in favour of the country. German tourism invests 5 lakh euros to promote tourism in India. Speaking of India, the country has recorded 52 per cent of its travellers wanting to visit new places and immerse themselves in authentic and rich local experiences. Travelling to Germany is convenient and is a family destination. India is a growing market with more than 160,000 overnight stays recorded until May 2022 – a whopping increase of about 214 per cent.

Speaking exclusively to Travel Trade Journal, Romit Theophilus, Director, German National Tourist Office (GNTO), India, said, “Germany is all set to welcome India as India ranks number 4 in Asia and is in the top-20 all-incoming list of Germany.” He added that the tourism board has plans to incorporate virtual reality (VR) as well as Augmented Reality (AR) to promote the country online as well as during offline events. GNTO has also launched Instagram filters that can be used by the users to superimpose destinations from Germany.”