The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) could not have had a better backdrop for the 42nd German Travel Mart (GTM) than Saxony Anhalt which will be celebrating its famous resident, Martin Luther King and 500 years of the Protestant Reformation in 2017. By Steena Joy
Magdeburg, the capital city of the region of Saxony Anhalt in Germany, played host for the first time to the 42nd German Travel Mart (GTM) from April 16-20. Organised by the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) in a different city or region every year, GTM is Germany’s most important B2B platform for its inbound tourism industry and is an opportunity to showcase the unique aspects of the destination to a worldwide audience. Interestingly, this year’s opening night was held in the Collegiate Church of St Servatius, burial site of the first German king, Henry the Fowler, and his wife Mathilde in the UNESCO World Heritage Town of Quedlinburg. As delegates walked up Castle Hill to the abbey church, they were offered a panoramic view of the medieval town known for its half-timbered houses. Saxony Anhalt is also the birthplace of Martin Luther King, the father of the Protestant Reformation. It was here in Wittenberg in October 1517 that Luther first nailed his 95 theses to the door of the All Saints Church. In 2017, the region has lined up several events to commemorate 500 years of the Reformation.
Speaking at the press forum held at Maritim Hotel Magdeburg, Petra Hedorfer, chief executive officer, GNTB stated, “The fact that the GTM, in its 42nd year, continues to attract travel industry professionals of the highest calibre from around 45 countries shows how important it is for Destination Germany. Our host city, Magdeburg recorded more than 550,000 overnight stays by overseas visitors in 2015 – an increase of 5.6 per cent that reflected Germany’s overall performance in the international market. Germany is now in the top tier of European travel destinations. We succeeded in cementing this position in 2015 with growth in both absolute and percentage terms. Next year, we will be using our ‘Luther 2017 – 500 years since the Reformation in Germany’ campaign to focus our global marketing activities on towns, cities and regions in Saxony-Anhalt that are associated with the great church reformer, Martin Luther.”
Sandra Yvonne Stieger, managing director, Magdeburg Marketing Kongress und Tourismus GmbH (MMKT), said, “We are very proud that Magdeburg is hosting such a high-profile sales event. I have no doubt that the GTM will help us to draw even more attention to Magdeburg’s cultural and historical highlights. This is a huge opportunity for the city of Emperor Otto to show an international trade public what it has to offer.”
Asia and Australia had a strong presence at this year’s GTM. Rijkert Kettelhake, regional manager, Asia and Australia and director, German National Tourist Office Japan, stated, “This year more than 100 participants from Asia and Australia are present at GTM. South East Asia is participating for the first time with delegates from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. This year we plan to expand our presence in this market. Also participating for the first time is Australia. India and UAE have a strong presence this year. India has participants from Mumbai, Delhi Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata.” Some of the Indian delegates who participated were MakeMyTrip, Thomas Cook, TUI, Chrysalis Holidays, World of Vacations, LTA Tours, Indiana Travels, All 4Season Holidays, HOPP Worldwide Excursions, M M Sons, Aaryan Holidays, and Journeys & Beyond.
Commenting on the India market, Hedorfer stated, “India is an important market for us. We have increased our promotional budget in this market recognising the growing importance and demand. We are also looking at Tier II cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Indians travel in large groups so there is huge potential. We are aware of their culinary expectations and inhibitions and are ready to make the adaptations.”
Strong growth
The focal point of the GTM was the two-day B2B workshop at Messe Magdeburg trade fair centre. Around 300 exhibitors from the hotel industry and transport industries – together with local and regional tourism organisations – showcased the variety and quality of Germany’s inbound tourism to an international audience. This year too, the GNTB used social media such as Twitter (hashtag #gtm16) to ensure that the event had the widest possible reach.
More than one billion outbound trips were made worldwide in 2015, of which 573 million were to Europe. Destination Germany accounted for 59 million of these trips, according to figures released by the market research institute, IPK International. Germany accounted for 52 million trips from other European countries in 2015 – a year-on-year increase of 4.4 per cent (2014: 50 million trips) despite stiff competition from elsewhere in Europe. Spain recorded 3.1 per cent growth and topped the rankings with 56.8 million trips. France remains in third place, growing by 1.8 per cent to 39.1 million trips. Then comes Italy (35 million trips) and Austria (26 million trips).
European countries account for 73.4 per cent of all overnight stays in Germany by foreign visitors, and these markets also made the greatest contribution to the strong growth in 2015, with an increase of 2.1 million overnight stays or 50 per cent of absolute growth. Of the countries that helped to drive growth in inbound travel to Germany, Spain tops the rankings with 517, 000 additional overnight stays, followed by Switzerland (up by 492,000), the UK (up by 382,000) and the Netherlands (up by 176,000). Holidays, with a 56 per cent share of the market, make up the biggest segment in travel from Europe to Germany. The number of holiday visits in 2015 rose by a further five per cent year-on-year to 29 million. Two trends from previous years added to the momentum in 2015: the market for longer holidays of four or more nights grew by 12 per cent to reach 18.2 million, and Germany remains the number one city-break destination for Europeans.
Business travel
Germany reaffirmed its leading position in the business travel market for trips from Europe in 2015, with the strong segment of promotable business travel helping to stabilise the trend. Trips to conferences and conventions, amounting to 3.6 million (up by eight per cent) and 2.8 million visitors to trade fairs and exhibitions consolidated this position.
Hedorfer forecasted, “We are expecting the upward trend to continue in 2016. However, because of various elements of uncertainty – including the security situation in Europe and around the world, the difficult conditions in parts of the global economy and the refugee crisis – our forecast is for a slightly slower growth rate of around one to three per cent. We are all educated and we are convinced of good political decisions.”
Germany is also focussed on being a barrier-free destination. “Our infrastructure is getting barrier-free. We are trying to do the same for the elderly too. We have got a clear committment to this segment,” she said.