The South West Germany delegation visited Mumbai & Delhi in the third week of February for an interaction with leading Tour Operators & Travel Agents from the trade. Additional information on new tourism product offerings, attractions & city tourist cards was discussed by the marketing director, Susanne Schlung, Tourismus Marketing, State of Baden Wuerttemberg (South West Germany).
Visitors from the Black Forest Regions, Thorsten Rudolph & Karen Weber as well as the renowned tourist spot of Baden Baden led by Wiebke Freund, head-International Sales & Marketing, thanked the travel trade for its immense contribution in promoting tourism to SouthWest Germany from India. Founded on October 2, 2008, the Black Forest Tourism GmbH is a merger of 10 places namely, Eisenbach, Feldberg, Lenzkirch Löffingen, Schluchsee, Friedenweiler, Hinterzarten, St. Margen, Breitnau and Titisee-Neustadt. Geographically, the Black Forest Tourism GmbH covers an area of approximately 810 square kilometers and the Hochschwarzwald Tourismus GmbH acts as a central tourist office that supports the cooperative tasks of destination Black Forest. It helps summarises the service providers in the region and profiles them under the brand ‘Black Forest’ on the national and international market. Susanne Schlung, marketing director, Tourismus Marketing GmbH commented on how SouthWest Germany which is the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg has a four-season climate and as Germany’s sunniest state it is booming with flowers in spring. She further mentioned how this makes it perfect for swimming as well as paddling in the hot summers and for those who are looking for adventure, the place is also good for hiking through the vineyards and for couple travellers, the snowy winters offers as a great destination.
Mag Thorsten Rudolph, CEO, Hochschwarzald Tourismus GmbH talked about how they want to tap into the Indian market as much as they can and to increase the Indian tourist arrivals by each year. He further spoke about the different experiences that South-West Germany has to offer and the customised packages, Indian tour operators can provide to their Indian clientele for this region.
Having around 3.7 million overnight stays in the Black Forest, the region is one of the most popular holiday regions in Germany. From the highest peak of the Central German Uplands, to the largest lake in the Black Forest, Schluchsee along with the world famous Titisee and the Wutachschlucht, the largest canyon in Germany, the Black Forest offers the perfect getaway for the Indian traveller. Wiebke Freund, head of International Sales & Marketing, Kur & Tourismus GmbH, Baden Baden discussed about the world-famous spa town in the Black Forest region and how Indian family travellers can unwind at thethermal baths and wellness resorts as well as explore the culture and art the Festspielhaus, Europe’s second-largest concert hall has to offer. Hector Dsouza, director-India, South West German Tourism, says, “We are extremely positive about business from the India market and have only seen the region grow over the years in terms of visitor arrivals.” India has always been among the top three overseas source markets for SouthWest Germany in percentage terms since the past three years. He further discussed about the reverse selling strategy which travel agents should use considering on how the Indian market is increasingly getting competitive with the influx of newer destinations. Nine Black Forest communities have been awarded the coveted seal of approval ‘family holidays in Baden-Württemberg’. The tourism department hopes to strengthen the ties with the Indian market and is constantly innovating on new products and experiences to provide to the Indian travellers.