City and cultural trips are generally particularly popular with Europeans, according to the European Travel Commission's Monitoring Sentiment in Intra-European Travel from October last year. At 19.3 percent, they are the most popular travel segment, followed by culture and heritage with 16.7 percent and nature trips with 13.5 percent. Compared to the same period last year, interest in city breaks remains high, while demand for Sun & Beach and Coast & Sea has fallen slightly.
City travelers mainly from the USA, UK and the Netherlands
In Germany, there were 74.9 million overnight stays by international guests from January to November last year - this corresponds to 89.6 percent of the 2019 figures. The figure is higher for city breaks: by September 2023 alone, the "Magic Cities Germany" (marketing association with Munich, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Dresden, Leipzig and Bremen) had already achieved a recovery rate of 91.6%. In the same period, the cities' share of the total volume of overnight stays by international guests already reached 43% again (2019: 45%).
The guests from countries that travel to Germany the most (source markets) are also the most likely to travel to German cities: The USA, for example, is the strongest source market for city tourism with 3.4 million overnight stays in the Magic Cities as well as the capital Berlin, followed by the UK (2.2 million) and the Netherlands (2.1 million). Guests from Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Austria, France, Denmark and Poland also spent a million nights in the Magic Cities.
City travelers want quality and to stay longer
According to a GNTB study conducted by the Sinus Institute in 15 European countries and Israel, those interested in city breaks are younger than average and have a higher level of education. "The Sinus milieus of the Intellectuals, the Performers, the Cosmopolitan Avantgarde and the Progressive Realists have a particularly high affinity for modernization and new trends in the urban environment," it says.
Above all, city travelers take advantage of the wide range of cultural offerings in Germany's cities. And: many would also like to travel from the city to the surrounding area afterwards. According to an analysis of the IPK International 2023 World Travel Monitor, 93 percent of travelers to Germany would be interested in combining a city trip with nature / countryside. The GNTB has therefore developed the "Stay a little bit longer" initiative, which combines city trips with a stay in the surrounding area for international guests. The aim is to make an active contribution to climate- and environmentally friendly travel and to strengthen tourism in rural regions.
Serviced apartments for the city break
This year's city campaigns by the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) focus on themes such as the European Football Championship and the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Whether for the next visit to a stadium or museum - serviced apartments can be found in large numbers in Germany's major cities, especially in Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg. They offer a growing number of city travelers more space and a feel-good atmosphere in the heart of the city than traditional hotels - whether for couples, families or groups. Each Serived apartment has its own kitchen and a living, sleeping and usually also working area. Via Apartmentservice, over 300 partner hotels with serviced apartments can be booked at attractive conditions directly with the reservation team in Berlin or at www.apartmentservice.de.