Germany has undeniably reaffirmed its standing as Europe's premier city and cultural travel destination in 2023. The diverse and high-quality offering caters to the nuanced demands of discerning target groups. Following an assessment of various international studies, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) anticipates that city tourism will present the greatest potential for the continued recovery of German inbound tourism in 2024.Petra Hedorfer, Chairwoman of the GNTB Executive Board, stated, "Germany has solidified its position as the top choice for city and cultural travel among Europeans globally. IPK International reports that out of the 46.5 million trips made by Europeans to Germany in 2022, 11.1 million were city trips, and 3.8 million were round trips. From January to August 2023, the recovery in city tourism reached an impressive 83% compared to the peak figures of 2019. Forecasts from various market research institutes, coupled with our own estimates, indicate that German inbound tourism is poised to match the record figures of 2019 in 2024. City and cultural trips remain particularly popular among Europeans, as highlighted by the European Travel Commission's October 2023 Monitoring Sentiment in Intra-European Travel: City trips lead with 19.3%, followed by culture and heritage at 16.7%, and nature trips at 13.5%. Notably, interest in city trips remains robust, cultural and round trips are on an upward trajectory, while demand for sun & beach and coast & sea experiences is showing a slight decline. In alignment with these trends, our global theme campaigns for 2024 will center around 'Germany as a land of art and culture' and 'UNESCO World Heritage Sites,' with a focus on commemorating the 250th anniversary of Caspar David Friedrich's birth, the 35th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the host cities of the European Football Championship, and Chemnitz as the European Capital of Culture 2025."Growing Inbound Tourism - Cities Back in the Fast Lane in 2023Germany's inbound tourism is recovering steadily and, with 74.9 million international overnight stays from January to November 2023, will reach 89.6% of the 2019 figures. According to the detailed results available up to September 2023, the Magic Cities already have a recovery rate of 91.6%. The cities' share of the total number of overnight stays by international guests, which was 45% in the first nine months of 2019, has already returned to 43% in the same period of 2023.Top Contributors: USA, UK, Netherlands lead city tourism growth in GermanyThe largest source markets for German inbound tourism also generate above-average contributions to city tourism. With 3.4 million overnight stays in the Magic Cities and the capital Berlin, the USA is the strongest source market for city tourism, followed by the UK (2.2 million) and the Netherlands (2.1 million). Other top countries with more than one million overnight stays in these cities are Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Austria, France, Denmark, and Poland.Eco-Friendly Travel: 'Stay a Little Bit Longer' Boosts City-Nature Stays, Rural EconomiesAccording to an analysis of the World Travel Monitor by IPK International 2023 on behalf of the GNTB in 27 countries, 93% of travelers to Germany are interested in combining a city trip with nature/countryside: 34% would focus on the city, 21% on nature, and 37% on city and nature in equal measure. With its "Stay a Little Bit Longer" initiative, the GNTB is specifically promoting the extension of international guests' stays in Germany by combining city trips with a stay in the surrounding area. This campaign makes an active contribution to climate and environmentally friendly travel. The campaign also increases the economic value of travel and helps to strengthen tourism in rural regions.Smart Data Transforms German City Tourism for Sustainable ExperiencesThe GNTB Knowledge Graph project, which went online in mid-2023, also opens up new marketing opportunities for German city tourism. Several international online travel platforms are already using data from the Knowledge Graph to present cities and enhance them with combined travel offers. Beyond the marketing level, open data also creates the technological basis for the implementation of AI-supported applications and services: In this way, visitor flows can be equalized and better managed, and the use of transport can be optimized. This makes an effective contribution to climate and environmentally friendly travel and improves the visitor experience. In this context, there are further prospects for the development of new business models by start-up companies.'Cultureland Germany 2024' Embraces Smart, Cultural EvolutionUrban centers are undergoing change. Retail businesses, which dominated the image of city centers for a long time, have shifted in part to digital marketplaces in the wake of the platform economy, and many municipalities are developing innovative and environmentally friendly mobility and transport action concepts. The city of the future is becoming increasingly smart, combining flexible mobile working, temporary art events, history, and socio-cultural meeting spaces. The global GNTB campaign "Cultureland Germany 2024" picks up on these trends. With its thematic clusters Design.Culture.Travel, History.Culture.Travel, Wine.Culture.Travel, and Music.Culture.Travel, it addresses potential guests from the value-based life milieus who have a particular affinity for city trips in Germany and presents tourist offers for the clusters that explicitly appeal to these target groups.
For more information about Germany's inbound tourism recovery, visit germany.travel.
