This year’s German Travel Mart (GTM) opened to the music of Wagner played by the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra in the magnificent opera house of this historic city in Bavaria, reports Michael Flood.
The GTM is an annual event organised by the German National Tourist Board in partnership with a different region or city each year. This year’s event was hosted by Bavaria Tourism and the Nuremberg Convention and Tourist Office. Over its 43-year history the GTM has evolved to become the German National Tourist Board’s most important and successful sales event for inbound tourism.
More than 500 buyers from 53 countries attended and were able to hold meetings and do business with German service providers, as well as make new contacts and strengthen existing ones.
Petra Hedorfer, GNTB Chief Executive said: “Germany is very well positioned in the international tourism market. In 2016 we were once again able to build on our status as the second most popular destination for European travellers. For the seventh year in a row we have once again showed growth of 3.2%, with 80.8 million international overnight stays in 2016. We offer great value for money to visitors”
More Irish visitors are visiting Germany with overnight stays of 68,290 recorded for January and February this year, a 9% increase over the same period last year.
In the area of global comparison, Destination Germany achieved first place as a cultural travel destination for Europeans, first place worldwide as an international trade fair destination, first place as a city break destination for Europeans, and first place as a destination for international luxury travel.
Booking agent channels for trips made by Europeans showed that travel agents only booked 16%, with direct booking of accommodation at 26%.
By 2030 Germany’s inbound tourism industry could potentially reach 121.5 million overnight stays.
The 2018 German Travel Mart will be held in Dresden.
