© CWEmbH / Ernesto Uhlmann

At the end of the 50th GTM, Petra Hedorfer, Chairwoman of the GNTB Executive Board, said: “5,254 business appointments were held at the GTM in Chemnitz over the past two days. According to the GNTB on-site survey, 99 per cent of respondents were able to make new business contacts in Chemnitz and 93 per cent rated the GTM as a good/very good platform for conducting business deals. This positive feedback from participants once again confirms the importance of face-to-face meetings for the continuous expansion of successful business relationships. I would like to thank the local partners, the Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen (TMGS), the Chemnitz Economic Development Corporation (CWE) and everyone else involved for their professional organization. The GTM 2024 has facilitated numerous new relationships within the international travel industry, especially for the European Capital of Culture 2025.”

Veronika Hiebl, Managing Director of Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen mbH (TMGS), explains: “The Germany Travel MartTM (GTM) has given us the fantastic opportunity to inspire tour operators and media representatives from all over the world for Saxony. We have also provided an important impulse for the Capital of Culture Year 2025 in Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region. We are delighted with the excellent response and the great feedback we received in many personal conversations.”

Andrea Pier, Commercial Director of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz: "The GTM 2024 was an important platform and an effective opportunity to present Chemnitz as the European Capital of Culture 2025 to representatives of the international travel industry. The Capital of Culture motto "C THE UNSEEN" could be felt throughout the GTM, and many of the guests from all over the world have been able to take a look at the undiscovered gems as part of the press and experience tours.

Katja Loße, Managing Director of CWE: “The GTM was an excellent opportunity to present Chemnitz and the region to international travel buyers and journalists. In particular, the press tours in Chemnitz, the Ore Mountains and the newly established Chemnitz-Zwickau region destination gave participants the opportunity to see the tourist attractions for themselves. At the workshop, we were also able to present the newly developed travel products in excellent discussions and establish numerous new business connections. The successful opening evening at Kraftverkehr provided a great start to the GTM.”

Outlook: GTM 360° - setting the direction for the future 

Since the first GTM in 1972, more than 15,000 experts from the international travel industry and 7,000 journalists from 56 countries have accepted the GNTB's invitation to the GTM.

Petra Hedorfer continues: "The GTM is and will remain the largest incoming platform for tourism in Germany. We now need to set the right path in order to continue to offer all partners a future-proof sales platform as part of the digital and sustainable transformation of Destination Germany. In addition to the annual event in Germany, the new GTM 360° will act as a 24/7 hub for incoming tourism throughout the year. The sales platform will then connect the mid-sized tourism industry with the international travel industry online and offline via interactive forums. Market insights, sales workshops, hybrid sales calls and future think tanks will be bundled in the satellite system of the GNTB's international locations and available to the various tourism service providers at any time." 

With this initiative, the GNTB plans to offer all mid-sized players in German tourism additional market access and support to help them stay connected and competitive. The GTM 360° event, which takes place annually in Germany, continues to focus on travel and personal encounters. Modern approaches in the presentation of destinations and new integration opportunities for business partners will continue to make the GTM one of the most important sales events in German tourism for the German and international travel industry.