Get unlimited access to the latest travel industry news and analysis, comment on articles and sign up to newsletters.
Register for free
Already registered? Login here or below.
Having difficulty logging in? Try these tips, or contact support@flymy.co.uk
Historic cities, sprawling green spaces and thrill-seeking family fun: Germany has it in droves, as Abra Dunsby discovers at the Germany Travel Show.
Klaus Lohmann, UK and Ireland director at the German National Tourist Board, was cheerful about Germany’s achievements at the Germany Travel Show, in the surrounds of Westminster’s Church House last month.
“The demand for Germany has been great,” he said. “There has always been a healthy interaction between the UK and Germany, and this is improving with the addition of flights from regional airports.”
Examples include Flybe, which launches flights from Cardiff to Berlin in April, and Ryanair, which will add routes from Manchester to Cologne and Frankfurt this winter.
Tourism to Germany continues to see strong growth, Lohmann added, with more than 80 million overnight stays by international visitors in 2016.
With 2017 marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Lohmann said: “Martin Luther [a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation] underpins a lot of what we’re doing this year – it’s why we’re in Church House today. Germany’s focus is on arts, cities and culture.”
While more than 76% of visitors to Germany are repeaters, this year’s focus is on attracting first-time clients to discover the country’s diversity.
Whether you have clients who are long-standing fans of Germany or those looking to dip their toes in, these events, new openings and anniversaries for 2017 are likely to draw them in.
The green-fingered can head to the German capital for the International Garden Festival, which takes place from April 13 to October 15 and is expected to attract two million visitors.
Set in one of the largest prefabricated housing estates in Europe, the exhibition looks at urban green spaces and how to make cities sustainable.
As well as gardens there’ll be art installations, a visitor’s centre, and an open-air stage for theatre and music. The festival is accessible by Berlin’s first cable car, and once it is over, the sustainable park that surrounds the venue will remain.
The venture ties in with Germany’s commitment to sustainable travel, which Lohmann describes as continually “at the forefront”.
The second largest theme park in Europe, Europa Park, will welcome a major new family-friendly attraction this year.
Project V will be Europe’s largest “Flying Theatre”, and the ride will take clients on an immersive flight over Europe’s landmarks on chairlift-style gondolas, accompanied by special effects such as wind and water.
The plans for expansion for the park will continue after this year, with a new water park, Water Adventure Resort, opening in 2019, along with an accompanying hotel.
The new accommodation plans are catering to rising visitor numbers, with a 26% increase in year-on-year overnight stays from the UK in 2016.
King of the castle Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg 500 years ago, kicking off the Protestant Reformation.
To celebrate the landmark anniversary, hotel chain Maritim has created a new package at its Magdeburg property.
The “In Martin Luther’s footsteps” package includes a guided two-hour city tour and a visit to the Cultural History Museum, whose exhibition “Against Emperor and Pope” brings to life Magdeburg’s special place in the history of German Protestantism. The exhibition runs from September 3, 2017 to January 28, 2018. Prices for two nights’ half board at the Maritim Magdeburg start at €165pp.
City association Historic Highlights of Germany is adding three new member cities for this year – Aachen, Bonn and the Hanseatic city of Lubeck.
“The 17 member cities that make up the Historic Highlights of Germany are all sites of significant German and European history, have universities and a population of between 100,000 and 500,000,” said the association’s chief executive, Bjorn Rudek.
Lubeck celebrates 30 years of its Unesco status in 2017, and also opens new museum, the European Hansemuseum, which explores the history of the Hanseatic League.
Bonn, the city of Beethoven, will host its annual Beethovenfest from September 8 to October 1, while Aachen welcomes two new hotels, Innside by Melia and Hampton by Hilton this year.
Rudek added: “Festivals and markets, arts, boutiques, restaurants, clubs, bars... a young, creative scene provides an exciting counterpoint to a grand past.”
