Rituparna Chatterjee – Mumbai
SouthWest German Tourism is looking to attract 40,000 Indian visitors in 2016. From January to October 2015, SouthWest Germany received 27,615 Indian visitors thereby recording a growth of 23.3 per cent. To attract more Indian visitors to the destination, the tourism body is focusing on positioning SouthWest Germany as a solo destination and for the same will be promoting new events and popular attractions of the region in 2016. Speaking about India’s present positioning, Hector Dsouza, director – India, SouthWest German Tourism, stated, “India is the second fastest growing market to SouthWest Germany in percentage terms. India also recorded the highest number of overnights per visit, i.e. 5.9 days per visit, as compared to the international average of 2.3 days. For the period ended October 2015, we had 162,843 overnights from India. By the end of 2015, we expect 200,000 overnights and aim to reach 250,000 overnights in 2016, an increase of 25 per cent from 2015.”
Some of the new events that SouthWest German Tourism will be promoting in 2016 include – the 500th anniversary of the German Beer Purity Law; 10th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz Museum; 125th anniversary of Germany’s first ski club (Feldberg, Black Forest’s highest mountain); 50th anniversary of Upper Swabian Baroque Road (one of the 10 driving routes in SouthWest Germany linking villages and churches with Baroque and Rococo architecture); 60th anniversary of the Stuttgart TV Tower; and 200th anniversary of the bicycle in 2017. While some of the popular attractions that will be promoted include – Europa Park, Heidelberg Castle and the Old Town of Heidelberg, Lake Constance region, The Romantic Road (from the Mainz River to the Alps), Black Forest Nature Reserves, and Freiburg Minster.