Tag Archives: Germany

An overall 106 plus partners from the four European destinations with 13 partners from Tourism Ireland, 27 from Germany, 45 from Switzerland and 21 from Austria attended the event to meet with over 110 plus travel trade from the GCC countries. The summit is the most important year on year as GCC’s most preferred summer escapes would be the European destinations and these four nations have equally enjoyed the best summers post covid and expect for this summer to be a record season. Speaking with tourismbreakingnews, Yamina Sofo Director German National Tourist Office GCC shared, “We had nearly 250 participants this year for the Discover Europe Summit, 27 from partners from Germany, we have more than 100 buyers from all six GCC countries. We are so happy that they all came together to Dubai to discuss business, get updates and support each other. Europe is an all year around destination but especially from this region summer is very popular we have a strong nature and culture focus, so that’s where all of us Switzerland, Germany, Ireland and Austria are very strong.” Aisling Mc Dermott, Manager Middle East and Asia, Tourism Ireland reiterated, “this is Tourism Ireland’s second time participating in Discover Europe Travel Summit and this is a fantastic showcase of Europe and this is why Tourism Ireland participates in it. We host 100 buyers from the Middle East for two days, with 13 partners from the island of Ireland along with our suppliers and partners from Germany, Switzerland and Austria. This is a very exciting event for us because we really draw on the attraction of Europe and Ireland as a beautiful destination in Europe.” Matthias Albrecht Director GCC …

German National Tourist Board (GNTB) continues to bolster its sustainable tourism offerings with the imminent relaunch of one of its most popular campaigns, Embrace German Nature. Highlighting Germany’s great outdoors, the campaign – which relaunches on March 1 – shines a light on the range of protected natural landscapes, superb cycling and hiking trails, and outstanding spas and health resorts. With Germany home to 51 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and more than 33 per cent of the country under special environmental protection, the campaign also highlights the stunning natural landscapes, which include 18 Biosphere Reserves, 16 national parks covering more than 10,000km², and 104 nature parks. Ecotourism is expected to see a market growth of 15 per cent between 2021 and 2031, according to analysis by the Future Market Insights Institute. Embrace German Nature is designed then to consider the heightened demand, align with market desires, and help Germany achieve its Sustainable Development Goals. “The Embrace German Nature campaign promotes the physical and mental health benefits of sustainable tourism, advantages of climate-friendly travel and transportation options, and the effects on general wellbeing of embracing Germany’s most natural resources,” said Yamina Sofo, Regional Director – GNTB. “Mindfulness, sustainability, and getting closer to nature have all increased in popularity among the GCC market. This has further encouraged us to relaunch a tourism campaign that not only helps meet that demand, but also takes global and domestic climate targets into account and unites responsible use of natural resources.” Both inspirational and fascinating, Germany has a diverse ecological make up, home to more than 300,000km of hiking trails across coastline and islands, imposing mountains, and dense forests. Approximately 50,000 animal and 20,000 plant species …

German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has been at the forefront of promoting sustainable tourism offerings to travellers, encouraging eco-conscious travel expeditions, thriving towards strengthening intercultural understanding, supporting regional businesses and conserving natural resources. According to an analysis by IPK International, around 80 per cent of international travellers are conscious about sustainability, climate and environmental protection and around 40 per cent seek cost-effective offers specially when it comes to their stays. In addition, a strong 90 per cent of those surveyed also have a strong desire to combine a city trip with a stay in a rural region; they extend the length of their stay that contributes towards reducing the CO₂ footprint. “As a tourist board, we continuously share the latest data with service providers, from customer groups to be addressed, to trends in the choice of transport; these are crucial fundamentals for travel providers,” said Petra Hedorfer, CEO, German National Tourist Board (GNTB). “The continuous exchange of best practices is also extremely important in a transformation, so that travel providers can make faster progress together – we, as a Tourist Board, act as a networking and knowledge platform to accelerate these eco-conscious transformations,” she added further. “We welcome travellers to experience Germany and explore its wide range of attractions that are not only exciting but are also environmentally friendly. We thrive in the narrative ‘Germany Simply Inspiring’, which was launched in 2017 and aims to promote the country’s positive image among a global audience,” said Yamina Sofo, Director at the Dubai-based German National Tourist Office (GNTO). GCC travellers can enjoy Germany’s plethora of sustainable offerings, including affordable public transport options, green architecture, and sprawling parks. ‘Feel Good’, one of the campaigns …

Germany recorded a 180 per cent increase in overnight stays from Gulf nationals in the first three quarters of this year compared to the same period of 2021, according to new data from the German National Tourist Board (GNTB). During the first nine months of 2022, GCC nationals accounted for more than 872,000 overnight stays, making the Gulf region Germany’s top Asian source market. In 2021, the number of GCC nationals visiting the country was 311,000, demonstrating strong growth. Yet when compared to pre-pandemic figures from 2019, it still represents a decrease of 34.5 per cent, showing not only substantial space for future growth, but also the logic behind the tourism board expecting the gap to close further next year. “We continue to see strong traction from the GCC region, with visitors looking to fulfil cultural experiences,” said Yamina Sofo, director of sales and marketing at the German National Tourist Office, the regional office of GNTB. “Our goal at the moment is to continue to attract visitors from the region and aim to reach the numbers we welcomed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have seen a striking performance this year when compared to 2021, demonstrating that our diverse campaigns and offerings are attractive, and effectively reaching the audience.” The aggregate of Asian source markets recorded more than 2.9 million overnight stays between Jan-Sep 2022, indicating a 283 per cent increase on the same period in 2021. This upsurge indicates travellers are determined to travel even more than usual. To further drive visitors – particularly those from within the GCC – the GNTB introduced three diverse campaigns this year that offer a wholistic tourism offering throughout the country. Aligning with …

The special webinar titled, Feel Good Germany promoted the destination as an year round sustainable touristic destination and also showcased Berlin’s strength in medical tourism. Yamina Sofo, Director German National Tourist Office, opened the session, sharing the numbers from the Gulf region which stands out especially during the covid era, and the positive recovery of the region which led to Germany reaping good numbers from the region. “Germany as a traveller destination has the ideal ingredients for an exceptional and sustainable holiday experience and it also helps to protect our climate and the environment. A sustainable holiday conserves natural resources strengthens, intercultural understanding and supports regional businesses. The destination and the providers of destination Germany is committed to this goal and are developing an increasing number of resource saving offers that are good for the environment as well as for the hosts and the guests. Many offers and recommendations can be found in our website, Germany.travel. In our 2022, market studies we can see the growing interest and attitudes of the guests towards environmental protection.” She shared some figures from UAE in terms of the interest shown in sustainable travel which was quite spell bounding. Michaela Kehrer Director of Medical tourism VisitBerlin shared the offerings the city in itself has with the many public parks and hidden gems in the city itself which cater to the GCC clientele. She reiterated that Berlin medical tourism is popular due to availability, affordability and accessibility and Germany ranks 5th in world medical tourism destinations, mainly due to infrastructure, specialised hospitals, with multi lingual staff who could cater to the requirements of the GCC clientele. She shared the new marketing initiatives conducted to promote …

German National Tourist Office GCC will be hosting a webinar focusing on medical tourism in Berlin on Wednesday 7th December 2022 at 12 noon, UAE time. This webinar will bring to light the many new offerings for the visitors who need expert medical care and attention. Speaking to TTME Yamina Sofo, Director, German National Tourist Office GCC shared that she will start off the webinar with the importance of the GCC market and its impact especially the last summer, then move on to share insights on the current campaigns that focus on sustainable tourism. Sofo stated, “the webinar is two fold, first our focus is on the Feel Good campaign which is to demonstrate our commitment to promote sustainable tourism ensuring that all players and stakeholders are involved and benefitted long term. Sustainable tourism is not a mere PR exercise, but a campaign that will add value to the traveller whilst granting them an opportunity to explore a truly authentic experience. Travellers can explore wide open spaces, natural forests, springs, lakes and rivers across Germany. Secondly, we will be promoting medical tourism with our capital Berlin, Michaela Kehrer, Medical Tourism Manager visitBerlin, will be sharing her expertise on what can be expected when on medical travel.”

‎Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight from Doha to Düsseldorf in Germany landed at Düsseldorf International Airport recently marking the launch of the airline’s latest German destination. The flight was welcomed with a water canon salute upon arrival. Operated by a Boeing 787 aircraft, flight QR085 was welcomed with an opening ceremony attended by Qatar Airways VP Sales, Europe, Mr. Eric Odone and Düsseldorf International Airport’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Thomas Schnalke. Qatar Airways currently offers services to Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin, making Düsseldorf its fourth destination in Germany. In July 2022, the award-winning airline increased its flight frequency from Frankfurt to three times a day. The move into Düsseldorf further demonstrates Qatar Airways’ commitment to the German market. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to launch direct services to Düsseldorf, expanding our services in Germany, and marking our entry to the Ruhr region – just in time for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. With this new service, not only will German passengers enjoy daily flights from a new location, but customers in the nearby countries of Belgium and the Netherlands will also have access to over 150 destinations across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.” “As of today, Düsseldorf Airport has one more great long-haul flight connection,” explained Thomas Schnalke, Chairman of the Airport Management Board. “Qatar Airways is one of the most renowned airlines worldwide. Their decision to include Düsseldorf in their route portfolio is a confirmation for our location. For business travellers as well as for vacationers, the new route is an asset. We look forward to many years of successful cooperation.” The new direct services to Düsseldorf will …

New figures from the German National Tourism Board has revealed the number of travellers from the Gulf between January and August 2022 more than doubled* when compared to the same period last year, suggesting the country’s ongoing campaigns focusing on nature and sustainability are hitting the mark and driving post-pandemic recovery. The first eight months of 2022 saw an increase in overall foreign visitors to Germany rise 175 per cent compared to 2021, while the Gulf region led the charge for Asia with an increase of 263 per cent*. While the reopening of international borders and relaxing of stringent travel restrictions clearly plays a part in the rise, the fact travellers are choosing Germany over a range of other countries is testament to targeted campaigning by GNTB, who specifically created its Embrace German Nature and Feel Good campaigns following in depth research into what tourists want. “With the GCC being the second top overseas source market, it’s important for us to ensure that the campaigns we invest in align with market wants” said Yamina Sofo, director at the German National Tourist Office (GNTO), the regional office of GNTB. “We’re also looking at what’s coming up in the next two months, with the ever-popular winter and festive seasons to begin soon, and continuing to drive our ongoing campaigns, Feel Good and Embrace German Nature.” Both campaigns will continue into 2023 as Germany looks ahead to its winter season, with popular resorts including Zugspitze, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Black Forest, Harz Region, Taunus, Ore Mountains, all set to attract visitors to the incredible skiing and snow sports for all ability levels on offer. Festive markets are also set to start from the beginning from November, …

German National Tourist Office GCC will be hosting a webinar focusing on medical tourism in Berlin on Wednesday 7th December 2022 at 12 noon, UAE time. Berlin, the capital of Germany has been in the forefront of medical tourism with state of the art hospitals for over 300 years. This webinar will bring to light the many new offerings for the visitors who need expert medical care and attention. Speaking to TTME Yamina Sofo, Director, German National Tourist Office GCC shared that she will start off the webinar with the importance of the GCC market and its impact especially the last summer, then move on to share insights on the current campaigns that focus on sustainable tourism. Sofo stated, “the webinar is two fold, first our focus is on the Feel Good campaign which is to demonstrate our commitment to promote sustainable tourism ensuring that all players and stakeholders are involved and benefitted long term. Sustainable tourism is not a mere PR exercise, but a campaign that will add value to the traveller whilst granting them an opportunity to explore a truly authentic experience. Travellers can explore wide open spaces, natural forests, springs, lakes and rivers across Germany. Secondly, we will be promoting medical tourism with our capital Berlin, Michaela Kehrer, Medical Tourism Manager visitBerlin, will be sharing her expertise on what can be expected when on medical travel.”

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has revealed the country recorded a 318 per cent increase on overnight stays from Gulf nationals in the first six months of 2022 when compared to the same period last year*. GCC nationals were responsible for more than 335,000 stays in H1 2022, compared with a little less than 81,000 in 2021. Such figures confirm the region’s position as representing the biggest growth from an Asian source market. While tourism numbers may not have returned to pre-pandemic levels yet, the promising growth demonstrates the countries strong recovery as it continues to attract tourists. “The GCC is the top Asian source market, therefore it’s unsurprising with our recent campaigns that there has been such a strong increase,” said Yamina Sofo, director of sales and marketing at the German National Tourist Office, the regional office of GNTB. “Pandemic recovery has long been top of mind and it’s encouraging to see that both longstanding and first-time travellers are increasingly keen to explore everything that Germany has to offer.” Overall, the Asian source markets have recorded a 252.3 per cent increase in overnight visitors, a jump from just over 217,000 to just under 800,000 in 6 months. The surging increase demonstrates a dedication and determination to travel internationally, despite some countries continuing to implement travel restrictions during the first half of the year. To further drive interest in travel to Germany in the remainder of 2022, GNTB has announced the launch of its ‘Feel Good’ campaign, which encompasses a plethora of guiding tips highlighting the country’s eco initiatives that provide conscious tourists with adequate tools and information to reduce their carbon footprint during their travels. A recent survey by D/A, …