The German National Tourist Office India, recently hosted a series of high-profile events for travel agents in Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengalur and Mumbai. The events aimed to showcase Germany's diverse offerings and insights on how travel agents and their clients can benefit from visiting Germany.
The events highlighted Germany's natural beauty, historic cities and towns, and cultural aspects, making it an attractive destination for Indian travelers. With increased weekly direct flights from India to Frankfurt and Munich, Germany is now more accessible than ever.
Over 120 agents attended each event, demonstrating a strong interest in Germany as a travel destination. The events also underscored the year-on-year growth of Indian travelers to Germany, with a rising trend of extended stays and exploration of the country through rail travel, self-drive, or cruises. The number of overnight stays by Indian guests in Germany rose by almost 40 percent from 693,000 to 962,000 by 2019.
The flow of travelers from India to Germany has been growing steadily for many years, Indian guests generated 826,000 overnight stays in hotels and guesthouses in 2023 - an increase of 33% compared to 2022.
The event saw enthusiastic participation from our partners, who were eager to reconnect with the Indian travel trade after the pandemic. Our partners, who included first-time participants as well as long-standing collaborators, were thrilled with the response from the Indian travel trade. The event provided a valuable opportunity for them to connect with key industry stakeholders, and to promote their respective destinations and products.
Participating partners included cities of Baden-Baden Tourism Board, Visit Berlin, the travel partners Frankfurt Airport, Lufthansa Group and Rail Europe. Our shopping partners Outlet City Metzingen, Wertheim and Ingolstadt Village. Accomodation Partners Steigenberger and Maritim Hotels, our cultural and heritage partners House of 1000 Clocks and lastly one of the leading DMC“s and suppliers Globus Family of Brands also played a key role in the event's success.
The roadshow was a testament to the growing interest in Germany as a tourist destination among Indians. With the number of Indian visitors to Germany on the rise, our partners were keen to capitalize on this trend and to promote their respective offerings to the Indian travel trade.
Overall, the roadshow was a resounding success, with our partners reporting fruitful discussions with the travel trade and a significant increase in interest in their respective destinations and products. We look forward to building on this momentum in the months and years ahead.
"Germany's popularity as a travel destination in India continues to grow, and we're thrilled to see increased interest from Indian travelers," said Romit Theophilus, Director for Marketing & Sales Office India. "Our events with partners are aimed to educate agents on Germany's unique offerings, making it an affordable and accessible destination for Indian travelers."
The German National Tourist Office India looks forward to continued collaboration with next set of events planned in the month of November in Jaipur and Coimbatore respectively jointly with Lufthansa Group.