On the rise! More British travellers forecast to visit Germany in 2014 than ever …

By
Catherine Eade

PUBLISHED:

12:37 GMT, 19 February 2014

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UPDATED:

13:42 GMT, 19 February 2014

Record numbers of tourists are heading to Germany, with Bavaria the top destination, ahead of the capital Berlin.

Last year was the fourth year in a row the country enjoyed a boost in overseas visitors, according to the German Tourist Board, which is expecting the figure to rise further in 2014.

The country surpassed its 70 million target for overnight stays from international travellers, and saw a 4 per cent increase in visitors from 2012 to 2013 – coming second only to Spain.

Main attraction: Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria is one of the most visited places in Germany

Cheers! Germany’s Oktoberfest – one of its popular events for international tourists

Bavaria attracts the highest number of all foreign overnight
stays, followed by Berlin, with the state of
Baden-Württemberg in third place. Popular events in Bavaria include the Oktoberfest in Munich, the Landshut Wedding historical pageant, the Oberammergau Passion Plays and Nuremberg’s Christmas market.

Leading the influx were visitors from Great Britain (349,000), followed by Russia (322,000), Switzerland (248,000), Arabian Gulf nations (237,000) and Poland (173,000).

The country has recorded constant increases in overnight stays from
Switzerland, Russia, Great Britain, Poland, the Netherlands and China
over the past five years, marking an overall increase of 42 per cent
since 2009.

City of culture: Berlin was the second most visited place in Germany last year

Fireworks illuminate the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on the 20th anniversary in 2009

‘Despite the difficult economic conditions in Europe and the world, Germany’s incoming tourism in 2013 has developed strongly,’ Petra Hedorfer of the German National Tourist Board said.

‘We are predicting a figure of up to 80 million international overnight stays by 2020 and for 2014, a rise of between 1 and 3 per cent is forecast.’

The trend is set to continue in the coming months, according to the German National Tourist Board, which points out that visitor numbers rose by 7.3 per cent last November alone.

Klaus Lohmann, director of the German National Tourist Office for UK and Ireland, said: ‘There will be even more reason to visit Germany for a holiday in 2014. Along with various high-profile institutions in the UK, we will be celebrating 300 years of UK-German Royal Connections with our Royal Heritage Route.

‘Culture fans are spoilt for choice through our Unesco campaign, which offers an enormous variety of cultural events and things to do throughout 2014.’

But crucially, November 9, 2014 will mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and to honour the major anniversary, a series of events and museum exhibitions are planned for the city, including GPS-guided tours.

One of the main highlights will be happening on the weekend of November 9: Along the former course of the Berlin Wall a new temporary wall will be built with thousands of white balloons, which will run through the city centre and be illuminated.