Anne Dollendorf of GNTO with VoX's Gerlinda Perera
Also with GNTO, Sophia Schlundt
LH's Nils Haupt & Christine Wendland
How do you say HoHoHo in German?
The Germans have a word for it: gemütlich. It means cozy and comfortable, warm and friendly. And last week’s dinner at The Richmond Resto in downtown Toronto turned the very hip venue into a hospitable and welcoming retreat. In the background? A soundtrack of the church bells of Nuremburg. All that was missing was snow gently falling.
The occasion was a dinner hosted by the German National Tourist Office, the German Consulate and Lufthansa to thank select friends for the their business over the past year and share good news for 2013. After promising she wouldn’t bore us with 3 hr. of statistics, Anne Dollendorf of the GNTO assured us that Germany takes tourism seriously – after all it’s a €278B business there, employing almost 3 million. “It’s actually more important than the automotive industry,” she added – though a wag in the audience commented “That because Porsches are so cheap!”
There are some interesting-sounding new themes to attract visitors to come to Germany next year, including the year of Youth Travel, in which young Germans are using social media to show the cool sights, sounds and destinations in their home country to their peers around the world. Next year also marks the 200th anniversary of the publishing of the Grimm Brothers’ book of fairytales, introducing the world to the legends of Cinderella, Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood and delighting toy manufacturers ever since. Music-loving clients will be interested to hear of the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner, also to be celebrated in 2013.
As we dined on grilled tenderloin and enjoyed the company of traditional German chocolate Santas, we also learned that LH is launching YVR-MUC service in May and that the airline has placed an order for 30,000 lightweight food trolleys from a manufacturer in YUL that will save them 9,000 tons in fuel each year. Who knew?
“Every year the number of Canadians coming to Germany grows,” Dollendorf told me, “And of course for 2013 we are looking forward to continuing that tradition!”
Danke, Anne and your colleagues, for a very gemütlich evening!
