Germany’s popularity among Indian tourists seems to be rising fast as German National Tourist Office has recorded a y-o-y rise of 214 percent in Indian travellers visiting the central European country in 2022.
Making a presentation at the annual press conference held at Delhi today, Romit Theophilus, director German National Tourist Office, India (GNTO) said “As far as Indian Travellers are concerned every month we see a jump in tourist arrivals; in January there were Rs 20,185 Indian tourists visiting Germany, in February 42965, in March 74905, 111771 in April, and in May the figure stood at 161373.”
Germany, which is as of now the 5th most visited travel destination in the world behind Spain, Italy, France and Greece is also ranked number 1 in the world in the ‘Nations Brand Index Ranking 2021′(for the fifth time in a row).
Romit describes why Germany is rising in popularity among travellers. “Germany is a round the year, value for money destination, this country is a brand in itself it was placed number one in ‘Nation Brands Index 2021’ this is so because besides possessing incredible natural beauty and having a very rich culture it is very high on parameters like health and hygiene which is very important during the pandemic and post pandemic times. Germany has great transport infrastructure and safety standards all contributing to the country being a great brand that it is”.
Romit stressed that Germany has to be a priority for those who love the outdoors, “75 pc of the country’s area is under green cover. Germany offers more than 186000 miles of hiking routes, more than 130 nature parks, national parks and UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, it has approximately 47000 miles of cycling routes and 3 UNESCO nature world heritage sites.
The outdoor tourism experience includes Germany’s 13 wine regions which offer regional wine and cuisine. Caravaning and camping activities are seeing a rise in demand as well.”
“From meandering lakes and breath-taking mountains to traditional craftmanship and Bavarian fare – Germany is the ideal place for explorers searching for an easily accessible destination with plenty to see and do” he added. Some of the naturistic elements of Germany include the 66 Lakes Trail hike, which incorporates streams and rivers and runs past the Sanssouci Palace in the spa town of Potsdam, and the incredible landscapes that can be found at Hiddensee, a stunning car-free island with sandy beaches and salt marshes.
Germany is also one of the leading countries in terms of sustainable tourism says Romit adding “Germany has an excellent sustainability record, National Brands Index (NBI) 2021 named Germany as the nation that is dealing best with climate change. Germany is ranked 4th in 2021 in SDG (Global Index of Sustainable Development Report). Germany has 13 certified sustainable establishments.”
Romit underlines Germany’s cultural significance and “Germany is a strong cultural center in Europe, it is placed 3rd on the World Heritage list boasting of 51 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 2021 five German sites were included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.”
