Tourism in Dresden is growing in a great manner. In the first quarter of 2018, the industry recorded double-digit growth rates.
In the first three months of 2018, the number of arrivals rose by 15.4% compared to the same period last year. The number of overnight stays rose by 16.8%, according to official statistics.
418,763 tourists came to the city in the first three months of the year and booked 816,458 overnight stays. Significant increase rates were seen with both domestic and foreign visitors. 341,129 Germans and 77,067 foreign tourists visited the city in the first quarter of 2018.
Tourism in Dresden reported an increase in domestic guests which was 14.3% and for foreign visitors it was 20.7%. Foreign visitors also booked 21% more overnight stays than last year, while German ones registered an increase of 15.8% in this aspect. On average, the guests stayed for 1.9 days in the city.
Figures for the month of March confirm the quarterly trend. 143,187 domestic guests arrived in Dresden during the month. This is an increase of 14.7% compared to March 2017. Meanwhile, 30,653 foreigners arrived in the city, registering and increase of 14.6%. The overall number of overnight stays rose by 14.1% in March.
The growth rates of tourism in Dresden also had an impact on the income from accommodation tax. The city cashed in 2.26 million euros in the first quarter of this year. This period is usually low in terms of turnover in the tourism industry. Thus said, the administration may well hope to break the ten million mark this year. In 2017, the city gained 9.53 million euros in tourist taxes.
In view of the tourist boom, the tax reduction decided by the city council could even be compensated next year. From January 1, 2019, the levy will drop from the current 6.6% to 6%.