Germany’s strong position as a travel destination has been confirmed with the lifting of most pandemic-related travel restrictions in 2022. Despite difficult general conditions, market segments and international source markets where Germany is already established as a top destination are experiencing growing demand.
Studies commissioned by the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) confirm the effectiveness of the recovery strategy. GNTB CEO Petra Hedorfer stated that international travel from Europe and the USA has significantly recovered, with Germany now ranking as the second most popular destination behind Spain.
The international travel industry is optimistic about the incoming tourism business to Germany in the first half of 2023. According to the GNTB Travel Industry Expert Panel from Q1/2023, the incoming business climate has improved significantly from Q1/2022. An optimistic assessment of future business expectations is also supported by 75% of around 250 CEOs and key accounts surveyed for the panel, who expect their Germany business to develop positively in the next six months.
In 2022, the number of international overnight stays in Germany rose by 120% compared to the previous year, from 31 to 68.1 million. This represents 76% of the record level of 2019. The USA, as the most important overseas market, generated 5.4 million overnight stays.
Germany remains one of the preferred travel destinations worldwide. According to the IPK International survey commissioned by the GNTB exclusively for the ITB, 71% of travellers worldwide had already made a firm decision to travel across borders in the next twelve months, with Germany ranking third as a travel destination worldwide.
According to the IPK, potential travellers to Germany are primarily interested in city trips, with 61% wanting to visit cities. 29% want to go on round trips, and 21% are planning nature-oriented holidays in the countryside or mountains. The trend towards combining town and country continues.
Sustainability is a strong argument for Germany as a travel destination. 62% of the international CEOs and key accounts of the GNTB Travel Industry Expert Panel see a shift towards sustainable products in booking behaviour. More than three-quarters already see Germany as a sustainable travel destination, and almost 60% specifically market this aspect. Around 71% of the experts expect that sustainable offers will be booked even more in the next three years.
