Saturday, August 10, 2024
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Germany’s tourism booms in 2024, driven by the UEFA EURO and extended stays. Hotels and airlines see strong growth, setting a positive trend for the summer season.
Inbound tourism reached a record high in June, continuing to drive growth in Germany’s tourism sector throughout the first half of 2024. The European Men’s Football Championships are anticipated to have a lasting positive impact, with the hotel industry, in particular, seeing increased occupancy rates and revenue growth in many cities due to UEFA EURO 2024. The airline industry also experienced a significant boost from fan travel, especially from participating European countries, according to the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) after reviewing various national and international studies.
Preliminary overnight stay figures from the Federal Statistical Office reveal that 8.7 million international overnight stays were recorded in hotels and guesthouses with at least ten beds in June 2024. This marks a 15.7% increase compared to the same month in the previous year and represents the highest June figure ever. From January to June 2024, the total number of overnight stays by foreign visitors increased by 7.1% compared to the same period in 2023, reaching 37.5 million international overnight stays. This brings the first half of 2024 to just 6% below the record level set in 2019.
Petra Hedorfer, CEO of the GNTB, comments: “The UEFA EURO 2024 has exceeded our expectations and given incoming tourism a major boost. In the run-up to the European Football Championship, we had already intensively promoted the idea of exploring the host cities and the surrounding areas beyond the visit to the European Championship matches and thus extending the stay in Germany. The current figures confirm our strategy. Furthermore, Germany has presented itself to guests from all over the world as a hospitable, peaceful and safe country.”
Success Factor #1: “Stay Longer” Campaign
Before the European Championships, a survey conducted by the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) in France, the UK, Spain, and Switzerland revealed that 55.4% of visitors intended to stay in Germany for at least three nights, with 36% planning to extend their stay beyond the match day by more than four nights. Recent initial analyses by ForwardKeys of June’s flight data indicate that two-thirds of air travelers stayed in Germany for a minimum of four nights, with the average length of stay reaching 9.7 nights.
Moreover, a post-Championship GNTB survey among football fans from France, the UK, and Spain showed that 60% now have a stronger interest in visiting Germany, thanks to their positive experiences during the event.
Success Factor #2: Diverse Tourism Offerings
Germany ranked 6th globally and 3rd in Europe in the 2024 Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) published by the World Economic Forum. The TTDI assesses countries across five dimensions and 17 sub-categories on their ability to foster sustainable and resilient development in travel and tourism. Germany excelled in sub-categories such as Health and Hygiene (1st place), Cultural Resources (6th place), and Transport and Port Infrastructure (8th place).
Positive Outcomes for German Tourism Post-UEFA EURO 2024
The hotel industry in Germany experienced a surge in demand as the European Championship preliminaries began. According to MKG Consulting, occupancy rates across Germany increased by three percentage points to 76.7% in June 2024 compared to June 2023, with average revenues per room rising by 12.5% to EUR 131 per night.
Initial flight data also reflects the strong impact of the European Football Championships on inbound tourism. International passenger arrivals in May 2024 increased by 4.1% compared to the previous year, with a 13.2% rise in June and a 10.3% increase in July, according to ForwardKeys’ analysis.
The nations that reached the European Championship finals also saw significant performance in the flight market. Over 131,000 flight arrivals were recorded from the UK in June (a 37.6% increase compared to the same month last year), and more than 105,000 in July (a 14.9% increase). Spain saw over 59,000 passenger arrivals in June (a 19.2% increase) and more than 58,000 in July (a 23.9% increase).
Additionally, experimental data incorporating new data sources and innovative statistical methods for June 2024 indicate an increase in tourist arrivals in Germany by road and rail, based on mobile phone data provided by teralytics.
The outlook for the remaining summer season is optimistic, with booking figures for incoming flights from July to September 2024 being 10.6% higher than last year’s figures. Hotel room bookings in Germany from all international markets via the online booking platform Expedia rose by 11.6% in July 2024 compared to July 2023.
