Industry & Market Numbers*

• The German tourism industry generated a total of EUR 185 billion in net value added, of which EUR 94 billion can be attributed to the tourism branch alone.
• The market for business trips generated turnover of approximately EUR 63.9 billion.
• The German hotel and accommodations sector recorded 380.3 million overnight stays by domestic and foreign guests, an increase of 3.2% compared to 2009.
• The number of overnight stays by foreign guests increased by the unusually high rate of 10.0% to reach EUR 60.3 million.
• With its 36 UNESCO World Heritage sites, Germany ranks among the six most popular travel destinations in Europe.
• Half of all foreign visitors come from the six most important source markets: the Netherlands, the USA, Switzerland, Great Britain, Italy and Denmark.
• Increasingly more Germans spend their vacation in their own country and in the meantime spend EUR 67.1 billion while doing so.
• With its 180.1 million overnight stays by its own citizens, Germany has the largest domestic tourism market in Europe, clearly outdistancing Italy (135.5 million) and France (130.4 million).
• The Internet constitutes the most important source of information for travel preparations and leisure time planning: 54% of foreign guests and 40% of German guests obtain information about their travel destinations online.
• For foreign guests, the motivation for trips to and within Germany are fun and pleasure aspects (75%) followed by the desire to break out of the daily routine (64%), whereas German guests primarily desire recreation and relaxation (57%), but also fun and pleasure (56%).
• Annually, Germans spend EUR 123.6 billion for leisure time, entertainment and culture.

*2010

Top Cities in Germany 2010 (Overnight Stays by Foreigners)

Overnight Stays by Germans and Foreigners in Germany (2010) for each Federal State

Attractive Environment for Investments

As far as competitiveness as a travel and tourism site is concerned, Germany occupies a prominent position on the international stage. Only Switzerland has a comparably favourable infrastructure for the tourism and travel industry. This was recently substantiated by the fourth Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum, which had analyzed competitiveness in the tourism sectors of 139 countries. Germany owes its top placement to – above all – its favourable economic environment and its efficient transportation and telecommunications infrastructure (2nd place). Germany also received exemplary ratings for its consideration of cultural resources (4th), its ecological sustainability (4th), its health care system and cleanliness (7th), as we as its security status (9th). All in all, the social, economic and political stability in Germany provides a solid foundation for businesses in the tourism and leisure time industries.

Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2011: Europe*

* Source: World Economic Forum

Opportunities for State Funding

Germany offers a variety of state funding opportunities for international investors. Diverse programs are aimed at the specific needs of businesses in different stages of development. State funding opportunities range from direct investment subsidies to financial support for human resources on up to research and development funding. Our experts will be happy to investigate which state funding options exist for your particular investment initiative.