Germany ready to welcome GCC visitors again

GCC visitors accounted for 1.6 million overnight stays in 2019

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) is participating at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) to raise awareness of what Germany and in particular Berlin, has to offer fans of city, nature and culture, living in the GCC.

Despite a difficult 12 months, this year has seen the realisation of many landmark projects in Berlin, such as the opening of the reconstructed city palace, the prestigious Humboldt Forum, and the reopening of Berlin’s leading art addresses, the Neue Nationalgalerie at the Kulturforum, underlining the intriguing nature of this ever-changing city.

With a recent YouGov survey suggesting that nearly half of United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia residents are planning to make an international trip in 2021, the GNTB is eager to welcome these travellers when borders reopen.

German National Tourist Office Gulf Countries (GNTO) director sales and marketing  Yamina Sofo said: “With the success of the national vaccination programmes in the GCC countries, particularly in the UAE where more than 11.5 million doses have been administered so far, we remain optimistic that the pre-crisis level of incoming travel from the UAE to Germany can be regained by end of 2022.

“It gives us immense pleasure to be here, at ATM, to showcase our unique German culture to not only GCC travellers but outbound tourists across the Middle East. We hope to encourage demand for city and nature holidays coupled with sustainable tourism, which draws attention to the many different ways of discovering Destination Germany with its wide range of traditions and attractions.”

Germany is already popular with GCC visitors with 1.6 million overnight stays from the region recorded in 2019, and it has a goal of reaching 3.6 million overnight stays per year by 2030.