Next year, the German National Tourist Board will be training the spotlight on youth travel in its global sales and marketing activities. The ‘Germany for Young People – vibrant, fashionable, innovative’ theme caters to a tourism segment offering vast economic potential. The target group is also huge, with current figures showing that about a third of all international visitors to Germany are under the age of 34.
“Young people visiting from abroad today are Destination Germany’s future holidaymakers and business travellers. They are becoming a more and more important target group, especially as domestic tourism will be increasingly affected by demographic change,” said Petra Hedorfer, GNTB Chief Executive. “We already reach out to this target group on our website www.germany.travel with a section entitled ‘Germany for young people’, which is available in 26 languages and 30 markets worldwide.
“Outstanding value for money, a cosmopolitan outlook and an excellent image make Germany ideal for group tours and other organised travel, such as school trips and coach tours, as well as for independent travellers. With three cities in the top 20 European destinations in terms of overnight stays, Germany joins Spain and Italy as the leading destinations for city travel.”
Social Media Campaigns
As part of the theme year, the GNTB is planning a campaign geared to young people’s media use that will predominantly consist of social media activities. The GNTB is teaming up with a number of partners for the campaign, including A&O Hotels (which has 10 hotels in Germany) and the German Youth Hostel Association (over 520 hostels), which both specialise in youth travel and cater to the needs of young people.
Launched in summer 2010, the www.creative-germany.travel website won the 2011 red dot design award and offers a virtual journey of discovery through the world of ideas emerging from Germany’s creative network.
A plan of this network, inspired by the transit map of a major city, helps visitors to find their bearings. The different coloured lines represent the core themes of architecture, art, design, fashion, music and events. This new website is aimed at a young, Internet-savvy target group for whom online interaction is an everyday means of communication.
