Despite the sluggish world economy, in 2011 tourism in Germany recorded growth and the country welcomed increased number of tourists. According to tourism experts the trend is expected to continue throughout 2012.
One of the reasons why tourism may be increasing is the fact that German economy is relatively stable compared to other European countries. Data obtained from the German Statistical Office confirm that the number of foreign tourists rose by almost 10% in April this year over the same period in 2011.
According to Petra Hedorfer, the Chair of the German Headquarters Tourism Europe, the number of tourists visiting the Netherlands and Switzerland has also increased. Since visitors to these countries also traditionally come to Germany, this upward trend is also important to note. Dutch tourists spent over 2 million nights in Germany while guests from Switzerland spent there slightly over 1 million nights.
Other European countries in close proximity to Germany have also seen an increase in tourism. France has seen an increase of over 7% while Italy has seen an increase of over 9%. Austria has experienced an increase of almost 9%.
In the first quarter of 2012, Germany has seen double digit increases in tourists arriving from Eastern European countries. German destinations are very popular with tourists from Poland and Russia. In fact, there was a 30% increase in the number of Polish tourists and 26% more Russian travelers.
The trend has continued with other Eastern European countries like the Ukraine, Latvia, and Estonia. Germany has seen a 16 to 35% increases in the number of tourists from these countries. The greatest growth in the number of tourists has been recorded with respect to Ukraine – 35%.
Besides the increase in visitors from Eastern European countries at the beginning of this year, there has also been an increase in the number of Asian visitors as well. This trend has been reported by other Western European countries including France. Holiday in Germany is particularly popular among Chinese tourists. About 23% more Chinese tourists visited Germany in April 2012 while the number of travelers from Japan rose by 16%.