By Kateryna Ivchenko

German National Tourist Board (GNTB) kicked off the first week of October with a special media luncheon downtown Toronto to tell the industry that Germany is ready to welcome visitors.

“I am very enthusiastic and positive about the upcoming season. Our flight volume is almost back to where it was in 2019,” says Anja Brokjans, Director of Marketing & Sales in Canada. “In July 2023 we had 70,974 overnight stays compared to 81,457 in 2019.”

Flights

Germany becomes more accessible for Canadian travellers as the number of direct flights have significantly increased in 2023. Now you can expect 114 nonstop flights from Canada to Germany per week:

• Condor is offering 18 non-stop seasonal flights per week from Toronto, Halifax, Vancouver, Edmonton, Whitehorse (May – October) Toronto-Frankfurt is a year-round service
• Lufthansa Group and Air Canada are offering up to 96 weekly DIRECT flights from Canada to Germany with great deals to Frankfurt and Munich from Montreal, Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary 
• NEW: In 2024, there will be a direct flight Calgary to Frankfurt

Sustainability

According to the study, environmental protection is on top of mind for Canadians and it is something that German National Tourist Office is working on as well. 48.2% of Canadians are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products, while 47.3% say it is very important for them to help the environment.

To learn about German sustainability efforts, please check out their global lead campaign for sustainability called – Simple FEEL GOOD which features many ideas for eco travel.

“Sustainable travel is the future of travel, and everyone needs to play their part to ensure that we are making a positive impact everywhere we go,” says Anja Brokjans.

Major Campaigns

In addition to the global sustainability campaign, GNTB also features:

• Barrier – free. An accessibility campaign designed to help visitors with disabilities to enjoy everything destination has to offer. Germany is also known as one of the most accessible destinations in Europe.
• Embrace German Nature. Campaign designed to help travellers discover Germany’s natural beauty and unique landscapes
• Simple FEEL GOOD. Highlights sustainable travel in Germany.
• 52 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Germany ranks amongst the countries with the highest density of natural and cultural treasures. “Germany is a place where culture is honored and preserved.”

At the media event, German National Tourist Board invited 10 representatives from various regions in Germany to showcase what each destination has to offer. Here is what you need to know for your next trip to Germany!

Stuttgart

Struttgart is located next to France, Switzerland, and Austria. It has its own airport conveniently located around 18 km away from the city centre.

Stuttgart is a city surrounded by green hills, vineyards and forests which makes it perfect for active travellers looking for outdoor activities like hiking, bike rides etc. It is also the only city capital in Germany which has 16 hectares of vineyards.

The unique selling point of this destination is its automotive history. It started over 130 years ago in Stuttgart and is now seen as a birthplace of the industry. In fact two major companies started their operations there and now you can visit the museum of Mersedes-Benz and Porche. For real car fans the V8 Hotel Motorworld Region Stuttgart offers you a chance to spend the night in a bed made from original vehicle parts!

V8 Hotel Mercedes Suite, credit V8 HOTEL

Stuttgart offers a wide range of cultural experiences like Stuttgart State Theater, State Gallery, Television Tower, Residential Palace of Ludwigsburg and more.

For the culinary part, you have lots of options. From the simple wine tavern to high class restaurants, you will definitely find something that will impress you.

For more information, please visit stuttgart-tourist.de.

Saxony

Known as the number one cultural destination in Germany, Saxony offers travellers rich history, scenic beauty, top-class art, culture and more. Here is what’s the destination has been working on this year and what travellers can expect in 2024.

What’s happening in Saxony in 2023:

• 300th Anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach‘s Appointment as St Thomas Cantor in Leipzig
• 1050th Anniversary of Torgau – (Former Saxon capital)
• 150th Anniversary of the Wine Restaurant “Vincenz Richter” (One of the most romantic places in Germany)
• 300th Anniversary of the Green Vault – (First public treasury museum in the world with unique pieces of art)
• 600th Anniversary of “Saxony” (The region’s name was changed from “Meissen” to “Saxony”)
• 100th Birthday of the 11-Dot-Angel (Most famous product of Wendt & Kühn and a design classic)

Wine Restaurant “Vincenz Richter”, Saxony

What to expect next:

• Histopad at Colditz Castle – April 2024 (Most famous prisoner-of-war camp from World War II in Germany)
• Germany Travel Mart in Chemnitz - April 2024 (Largest incoming event in Germany for hosted buyers)
• European Soccer Championship - June- July 2024 (Red Bull Arena in Leipzig will host 4 games)
• 250th Birthday of Caspar David Friedrich - From August 2024 (Most important painter of the Romantic period in Germany)
• 800t Anniversary of Kamenz – 2025 (Town with medieval character and partly-preserved fortifications)
• 500th Anniversary of Auerbachs Keller – 2025 (One of the most famous restaurants in the world)
• Chemnitz as European Capital of Culture – 2025 (Saxony’s third largest city)

Colditz Castle, Saxony

For more information, please visit visitsaxony.com.

Munich

Munich is probably one of the most well-known destinations in Germany. It is located in the Southeast Germany and has so much to offers.

Here is what’s new and happening in Munich in 2023-24:

• New Openings
  • Rosewood Munich – opened on September 29, 2023, offers 73 rooms, 59 unique luxury suites and houses, Asaya Spa and exquisite dining Cuvilliés
  • JW Marriott – scheduled to open in spring 2024, offers 106 rooms
• Newest Sport Attractions
  • SAP Garden – to open in 2024, Munich’s new top arena
• Event Highlight 2024
  • European Football Championship (UEFA EURO) - opening game on June 14th, 2024, last 16 game and a semi-final

For more information, please visit muenchen.de.

Historic Highlights of Germany

Historic Highlights of Germany is a membership association which opened in 1977. The main goal of the association is to promote meaningful and sustainable tourism where travellers can support small businesses and experience farm-to-table and locally sourced restaurants.

Currently, Historic Highlights of Germany represent 17 boutique destinations: 

All destinations have German heritage cites, are university towns with a minimum of 100,000 inhabitants (maximum 400,000). These cities are walkable, promote sustainable tourism and are packed with endless experiences.

Aachen Market Square, credit historicgermany.com

Bonn Muensterplatz Square with Beethoven Memorial, credit historicgermany.com

Christmas Market Augsburg copyright historicgermany

To make exploration of these places even easier, travellers can get to any city by a high-speed-rail-network of DB.

For more information, please visit historicgermany.travel.

Frankfurt

You might know and have probably been at the Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) as it’s the biggest hub in Germany and 4th in Europe. Next time you have a layover, head over to the train station and in 12 min (only 3 stops) you will reach the city center!

So much has happened in Frankfurt in the last few years and probably the biggest news is the reconstruction of the New Old Town. It is a unique reconstruction project of a district destroyed in the World War II. District contains covers an area of 7,000 m2 and contains 15 reconstructions and 20 new buildings. It has been opened to public in summer of 2018. Currently New Old Town offers an array of restaurants, shops, and cafes and even has a 1-hour city tour.

New Old Town, Frankfurt

Frankfurt also offers 80 museums and galleries as well as 50 theatre groups and 20 stages. It also has the only English theatre on the European continent.

For the foodies, Frankfurt offers traditional dishes like Apple Wine, Green Sauce (potatoes, eggs and herbs dish shown in the picture below), Handkäs‘ with music (cheese with raw onion and vinaigrette) and Frankfurt sausages.

City also offers quite an international culinary spread thanks to a population representing over 190 nations worldwide. And of course, 9 Michelin Star restaurants.

Annual Festivals Include:

• Green Sauce Festival (May)
• Wäldchestag (Whitsun)
• Opera Square Festival (June/July)
• Main Festival (1st weekend in August)
• Apple Wine Festival (August)
• Rheingau Wine Market (September)
• Museum Embankment Festival (Last weekend in August)
• Frankfurt Christmas Market (November until December 22)

Traditional Christmas Market in the historic center of Frankfurt, Germany

For soccer lovers, Frankfurt will be a host city of UEFA EURO 2024 (June 14 – July 14, 2024).

To make it easier for travellers to explore Frankfurt’s best, the city is offering transportation and sightseeing discount cards. Frankfurt card. RheinMain card.

For more information, please visit frankfurt-tourismus.de.

Franconia

Franconia is located in the Northern part of Bavaria and consists of 15 cities. It is known for its culinary delights, culture, nature, Christmas markets, wine, and beer!

Franconia is home to 300 breweries and current elected Queen of Wine, a representative of the German wine industry.

Cities of Franconia offer many cultural sites like:

• Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth
• Limes, the ancient Roman wall
• Residenz Castle in Wuerzburg
• Bamberg’s old town 
• Bad Kissingen, “Great Spa Towns of Europe”

Old town Bamberg in Bavaria, Germany

Nature activities include water sports, certified hiking trails and regions, climbing, 10 nature parks, sustainable nature experiences and so much more!

What’s in store for 2024:

• 750th Anniversary “Imperial City Rothenburg ob der Tauber”
• 650th Anniversary of Bad Steben
• 70th Anniversary of the Castle Road
• 20th Anniversary of “Theater of Shadows”, Bamberg
• 50th Anniversary Hassberge Nature Park
• 1.000th Anniversary of the death of Emperor Henry II, Bamberg

Historic town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany

Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf is centrally located in the heart of Europe and used to be a very small village. Today it is now known as a business city, has its own airport, and is walkable! No rental car is needed to explore this destination.

Old Town Düsseldorf

Here is what Düsseldorf is known for:

• Altstadt (Old Town) – the historic center
• Beer culture and “the world‘s longest bar”
• Rhine embankment promenade
• MedienHafen (Media harbor)
• Green city – quite interesting and unique approach to make the city greener and more sustainable. In Düsseldorf you will be able to see lush greenery on the rooftops of the budlings. The goal is to “bring the nature back into a city center”
• Architecture
• Art academy and museums
• Urban art
• Fashion and shopping
• Culinary variety
• Annual events including Christmas markets and carnivals

Christmas Market in Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf tourism agency has created new English content to help Canadians explore the destination.

For more information about Düsseldorf, please visit duesseldorf-tourismus.de.

Berlin

You have definitely heard of this place. Berlin is full of activities and experiences, and here is why you need to visit Berlin and send your clients there this upcoming season:

• Munch in Germany One artist, two exhibitions:
  • Museum Barberini Potsdam November 18, 023 – April 1, 2024
  • Berlinische September 15, 2023 – January 22, 2024
• Fotografiska at the former Tacheles – opened September 1, 2023 (museum of photography
• EURO 2024 – June 14 – July 14 (6 matches in Berlin)
• More than 60 Christmas markets!
• 35th Anniversary of the fall of Berlin Wall

Berlin Skyline Panorama with TV Tower and Spree River

For more information, please visit visitberlin.de.

Bavaria

Bavaria is quite a unique destination in Germany as you can experience big towns and cities, villages and countryside, hills and mountains and rivers and lakes all in one place.

Bavaria Tourism took the destination promotions to the new level with a new campaign featuring 70 influencers who make Bavaria unique. At the event, we have been presented with 4 such influencers. Click on the links below to see why they make Bavaria a place to visit.

1. Werner Härtl Cow Dung Artist
2. Ilonka Scheuring Ethical Winemaker
3. Hanse Wenzl Whipcracking tradition
4. Silvia Beyer First Vegetarian Hut in the Alps

For more information about Bavaria, please visit bavaria.travel.

Baden Baden

A magical town of relaxation, wellness, spa and wine. Baden Baden is located in the Southwest Germany next to France and Switzerland. 

A literal meaning of “Baden” is “to take a bath”, so it comes as no surprise that Baden Baden is known for its wellness and spa retreats.

Here are few destination’s highlights to help you plan your Baden Baden escape:

Thermal Spas

• Discovered by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago
• 12 thermal water springs
• Over 210,000 gallons from a depth up to 6500 feet, 150 degrees hot
• Healing effects on body and soul
• Today: Two public spas 
• Since 2021 UNESCO World Heritage

Green Destination

• Clean air & car-free city center, the town is very small, so there is no need to rent a car
• 5 miles Lichtentaler Allee park & gardens
• Rose garden with more than 400 different types of roses
• Merkur Mountain
• Hiking & Biking trails

Culinary Delights

Fine food in Baden-Baden:

• From Michelin dining to authentic local flavors as well as international cuisine. Local wine from the surrounding Rebland (12 miles outside city center). One of Germany’s most important Riesling growing areas

Art and Culture

• Kurhaus with “the most beautiful casino in the world” (Marlene Dietrich) –  the oldest casinos in Germany
• Festival Hall: Europe’s second largest opera and concert hall
• Museum Frieder Burda, State Art Gallery, Fabergé Museum

Concerts and Events

• Philharmonic Castle & rose garden concerts
• Vintage Car Meeting
• Food and Music Festivals
• 3 horse racing events
• Christmas Market till 6 January

For more information, please visit baden-baden.com.

Have you picked the places you want to visit? Learn more about Germany at germany.travel.