It was all good news from our friends in Germany tourism as a group of travel media convened in Toronto’s photogenic Distillery District for an update on 16APR.
“This year, all eyes are on arts and culture in Germany,” Anja Brokjans, Toronto-based Director of the German National Tourist Office, told the group. That and the country’s impressive track record in sustainable tourism options – an increasingly important aspect for visitors, including Canadians.
And the numbers don’t lie. Last year saw an impressive 32.6% YOY increase in Canadian overnight stays. Nights now total almost 650,000, notably to top sellers BER, MCH, and FRA. (BER is especially interesting this year as it marks the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.) Germany is now the number four destination in Europe for us, after France, Italy, and the UK.
Germany seems to be getting greener by the minute.
“We have 17 cities boasting green spaces covering 80% or more of their land areas,” Brokjans said.
Clients interested in exploring off-the-beaten paths and visiting palaces and castles by electric rental car will be pleased to hear that there are almost 60,000 e-charging stations.
And it’s hard to beat the value of a German train Ticket for just €49 ($75) a month. The extensive train infrastructure spans 33,300 kilometres, and 5,700 passenger stations ensure convenient travel, offering direct connections from 150 European cities.
Even public water fountains ensure there will be fewer plastic water bottles used by locals and visitors alike. You can find out more about sustainable travel in Germany here.
“This is our fifth year promoting sustainable, stay longer, slow travel,” added Brokjans. And that clearly resonates with Canucks, who, she added, can do a “workation” whereby visitors can work from a home-away-from-home.
But to prove that Germans can indeed put aside work to have a good time, event attendees participated in a lively, noisy foosball tournament. Open Jaw made it to the semi-finals—proof that we ladies in pink like to have fun, too. Find out more at Germany.travel.
