Germany Tourism Statistics and Trends

Germany was also voted the most cultural country to visit in 2022 by the U.S. News Best Countries rankings.

The rankings are based on a survey of more than 20,000 people from 36 countries, who evaluated 78 countries on 65 different attributes, such as cultural influence, heritage, entrepreneurship, and quality of life.

Germany scored high on cultural influence, heritage, and entrepreneurship, as well as on power, citizenship, and education.

The tourism industry has been improving since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has been steadily returning to normal. But you may wonder what you need to know when booking your trip to Germany.

Keep reading to find out everything there is to know about the numbers of the tourism business.

Find out the top cities, how much money Germany makes from the industry, and how many people benefit. If you’re curious about Germany’s biggest employment sector, it’s time to dive in.

Since 2020, the industry has fluctuated due to numerous countries closing down. However, in this article, we’ll examine how the country’s tourism habits have changed since 2020 and what we can learn from them.

The global tourism landscape, much like a rollercoaster, has experienced dramatic highs and lows since 2020. Germany, a prime European destination, is no exception. While border closures and travel restrictions initially brought the industry to a near standstill, 2022 and 2023 witnessed a gradual ascent, albeit with notable shifts in traveller habits.

A Quick Overview Of Statistics

• Over the entire year, the total number of tourists who visited Germany in 2023 was approximately 67 million. This includes both domestic and international guests and is based on the number of overnight stays recorded by accommodation establishments
• Berlin is the top destination for tourists in Germany and the third most popular city in Europe, following London and Paris.
• The top tourist attractions in Germany are Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, Europa Park in Rust and Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
• There are 6 million people in Germany’s tourism industry, having the highest employment rate in the sector in 2022.

Germany is known for its fascinating culture and delicious cuisine. It’s been a central tourism hub for years, with over 2.6 million workers in their thriving tourism industry.

Tourists regularly flock to Berlin, often opting for it instead of London and Paris. If you don’t visit Berlin, there are numerous other popular attractions, including Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland or Rust’s Europa Park.

How Many People Visit Germany Each Year?

• Over the year, 67 million tourists were recorded in Germany in 2023, including domestic and international guests.
• Germany ranked 9th worldwide for tourism in 2022, with around 69 million tourists. However, when the population of Germany adjusts the tourist numbers, the result is different: Germany had 0.14 tourists per resident in 2022, ranking 81st in the world and 9th in Western Europe
• Tourists from the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and the USA remain the top foreign visitors to Germany.
• Germany had over 163 million tourists visit the country in 2022, accounting for domestic and international visitors. Most of these visitors appear from the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and the U.S. Compared to other countries; however, it is ranked 81st in the world for tourism.

Where Do Germans Like To Go On Holiday?

• about 5 million Germans went on a vacation trip that lasted five days or longer in 2023. This is an increase of 8.3% compared to 2022 when only 30 million Germans took such trips
• The average duration of a vacation trip in Germany was 1 day in 2023.
• On holidays, Germans spend roughly 1,170 euros per person on average.
• Traditionally, about 40% of Germany’s population prefers vacations outside Germany.
• In 2023, 55% of Germans planned to spend their holiday domestically, with 35% planning a vacation in Europe and 11% planning a long-distance trip.
• Germany’s most popular domestic vacation destination in 2022 was the Baltic Sea, The Black Forest, and Berlin, closely followed by Bavaria and the North Sea.
• For international holidays, Germans preferred Spain, Italy, Turkey and Austria.

In 2023, we saw a resurgence in the number of Germans who chose to go away on holiday, with 32.5 million leaving for five days or longer.

With the average trip duration being 10.1 days, one person could spend 1,170 euros on holiday.

Traditionally, at least 40% of Germany’s population would prefer to spend their vacations outside of Germany. However, more people have elected to remain at home over the years.

Nowadays, 55% of Germans are happy to travel domestically, while 35% would prefer to travel to Europe. However, only 11% would be willing to plan even a longer trip.

It’s no surprise then to find that most people would prefer to go on vacation to the Baltic Sea or travel to Bavaria or the North Sea.

Anyone who wanted to travel internationally would go to European countries such as Italy, Spain, and Turkey.

Where Do Most People Visit In Germany?

• Berlin is the top destination for tourists in Germany and the third most popular city in Europe, following London and Paris.
• In 2022, Berlin welcomed 3.5 million guests from abroad, which was 173% more than in 2021.
• There were 38.2% of overnight stays by guests from abroad of the 26.5 million overnight stays overall.
• The top tourist attractions in Germany are Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, Europa Park in Rust, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

If you’re going to visit Germany, you’ll find that Berlin is the top destination for all tourists, being the third most popular city in all of Europe.

It’s so popular that over 3.5 million visitors chose to visit from abroad. Likewise, 38.2% of overnight stays in Berlin came from international guests of all 26.5 million overnight guests.

When visiting, you don’t have to limit yourself to Berlin. Some of the most popular attractions include the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg.

Families can enjoy Europa Park in Rust, or you can enjoy a leisurely trip to Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

How Much Money Does Germany Gain From Tourism?

• The total revenue from tourist accommodation in Germany in 2023 was approximately 4 billion US dollars. This was an increase of 20% compared to 2022 when the revenue was 32 billion US dollars. However, it was still lower than the pre-pandemic level of 67.2 billion euros (or 79.4 billion US dollars) in 2019
• The total amount of euros spent on business travel in Germany in 2023 was approximately 8 billion. This was an increase of 18.7% compared to 2022 when the spending was 26.8 billion euros.
• the GDP of Travel and Tourism in Germany is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 3% between 2023 and 2024
• The travel and tourism industry generated roughly 7 billion euros in Germany in 2022, rising from 217.2 billion euros in 2020.

Germany’s biggest industry is tourism, so it generates significant revenue for the country’s GDP. It can be expected that we’ll see a continued rise of 1.3% per year in 2023 and 2024.

This means that the Travel and Tourism sector will contribute more than €394 billion or 9.7% of the total economy in 2024

We know that the travel and tourism industry generated roughly 338.7 billion euros, having risen from 217.2 billion euros in 2020. Of that money in 2023, 31.8 billion was spent via business travel.

Where Do Most Tourists Stay In Germany?

• Roughly 8 million tourist overnight stays were recorded in Germany in 2022 to 2023.
• There were 48,213 tourist accommodation establishments open in Germany in 2023. This was a slight decrease compared to 2022.
• The number of overnight stays by tourists increased by 3% when compared to 2021.
• The number of tourists who preferred to stay in hotels in Germany in 2023 was 163 million, of which 6 million were domestic guests and 41.4 million were foreign guests. B&Bs and vacation homes are the second and third most popular options.

In 2022, there were roughly 450.8 million overnight stays by tourists, an increase of 45.3% compared to 2021.

Over 48,213 accommodation establishments were open for business, but most tourists preferred staying in hotels.

Hotels were the country’s most popular choice for foreign and domestic guests.

The number of tourists who used vacation apartments, houses, and camping sites in Germany in 2023 was 136.8 million, of whom 97.9 million were domestic guests and 38.9 million were foreign guests. This means that vacation apartments, houses, and camping sites accounted for 30.3% of the total overnight stays at travel accommodations in Germany in 2023, which was 450.8 million. The most popular types of travel accommodation among German tourists in 2023 were hotels, vacation apartments or houses, and camping sites.

Here is some more detailed information about each type of accommodation:

• Vacation apartments and houses: These self-catering properties offer more space, privacy and flexibility than hotels. They are especially popular among families and groups of friends who want to enjoy a home-like atmosphere and cook their own meals. Germany had 9,781-holiday houses and apartments in 2023, with an average occupancy rate of 54.6%. The average price per night was 77 euros.

• Camping sites: You can pitch a tent, park a caravan, rent a cabin, and enjoy nature and outdoor activities. They are ideal for budget travellers, nature lovers and adventure seekers who want to experience a different way of living. There were 2,353 campsites in Germany in 2023, with an average occupancy rate of 41.2%2. The average price per night was 22 euros.

• Camping pods: These wooden huts provide a more comfortable and cosy alternative to tents. They are equipped with beds, heating, electricity and sometimes a small kitchenette and a bathroom. They are perfect for glamping, which is a combination of glamour and camping. They offer a unique and romantic experience of staying close to nature without sacrificing comfort and convenience. There were 310 camping pods in Germany in 2023, with an average occupancy rate of 48.7%2. The average price per night was 63 euros.

A significant gap showed that hotels were significantly more popular, while vacation homes and camping sites were 2nd most popular.

How Has Tourism Changed Since The Pandemic?

• The number of vacations taken by Germans dropped to 5 million in 2020, but the numbers have been steadily rising to 67.1 million in 2022.
• In 2020, Germany recorded a total of 12 million foreign tourists.
• Only 1% of Germans were interested in travelling in 2020, while 11.4% were not.
• In 2020, the German tourism industry only generated 6 billion euros worth of revenue. However, this has been steadily rising once more.

In 2020, many countries closed their borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, damaging the tourism industry.

Only 50.5 million Germans went on vacation in 2020, with 21.1% of Germans showing interest in travel and 11.4% showing none.

Even in Germany, we noticed that they only had 12 million foreign tourists enter the country, generating only 3.6 billion in revenue.

However, the good news is that the numbers have been rising. In 2022, we already noticed 67.1 million foreign tourists returning to travel, and the revenue has since grown.

Conclusion

Germany is seen as a cultural landmark within Europe and the world, so it’s no surprise that it has such a thriving tourism sector.

It has always been a hub for European vacations, and the 2020 lockdowns impacted the industry.

Since 2020, the industry has improved, and in 2024, it is getting much better.

More foreign visitors have been entering the company again, and Germans are also happy to travel on international holidays.

However, German travel habits have changed since 2020. More Germans are content with domestic vacations, and fewer plan for long trips.

We’ve noticed that most prefer their holidays in the Baltic Sea. At the same time, before the pandemic, places like Italy and the Mediterranean were the most popular destinations.

If you would like to know more about tourism statistics from Europe and around the globe, please see our other articles. We have all the information you need about tourism statistics and more.

References

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