New York City, December 10, 2014 – For the period of January to September 2014, the number of overnight stays from abroad to Germany increased to 58.8 million. According to latest figures from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, 2.9 million extra nights, in accommodation establishments with ten or more beds, were registered compared to the same period last year. This represents an overall increase of 5.1 percent.
“This dynamic growth in inbound figures clearly provides German Tourism with yet further momentum and impetus. The increase of more than five percent at the end of the third quarter 2014 is again well above the equally satisfying growth rates recorded for January to September 2013 (up 3.8 percent). Looking at these intermediate results, we are optimistic that the annual balance of our predictions for overnight stays for 2014 will be achieved,” explains Petra Hedorfer, CEO of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB).
Poland for the first time among the top 10 markets
With an increase of 12.2 percent to 1.9 million overnight stays from January to September, Poland has been able to overtake the Russian Federation as a source market and for the first time, is now one of the ten most important source markets for tourism to Germany. Unchanged, the Netherlands tops the list of top ten source markets by a wide margin. In second place, Switzerland generated above-average growth of 6.8 percent, followed by the US (up 4.8 percent). The UK registered a 4.2 percent growth, Italy 5.4 percent and Austria up 6.0 percent. An anticipated decline in the Russian market showed a decrease of 3.9 percent in the first nine months.
Above-average growth rates of many Southeast European countries underline the importance of this region as a tourism source market of the future. Countries such as Czech Republic, with an increase of 8.7 percent, Romania + 14.4 percent, Bulgaria + 22.2 percent, Slovenia + 24.4 percent and Croatia (+ 32.1 percent) are establishing an upward trend.
Asia makes its mark with growth from overseas markets
With double-digit growth rates, China, with +17.4 percent and the Arab Gulf States (+ 21.7 percent) are on the radar: at the end of the third quarter, the Middle East region, with 1.5 million overnight stays, sits just ahead of the Arab Gulf States. The growth regions of India (up 8.5 per cent to 498,000 overnight stays), South Korea (up 12.4 percent) and Taiwan (plus 23.7 percent) are making their mark on German Tourism.
