Germany deepens commitment to GCC travellers

Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB), affirmed that Germany has strengthened its position in recent years as a leading global tourism destination after traditionally being known as a hub for the automotive industry.

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She noted that only 23 per cent of international visitors now come for business purposes, compared to a growing shift toward leisure tourism, at a time when international tourist spending in the country reached €77 billion in 2024.

During a press conference held on Wednesday at Souk Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, as part of the GNTB's celebration of 20 years of presence in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and in the presence of media representatives, Hedorfer reviewed the latest performance indicators of the international tourism sector and the Gulf market, which has cemented its place as the third-largest overseas source market for tourists travelling to Germany, with spending reaching €2.3 billion in 2024.

She noted that the global tourism sector “fully returned to its trajectory” in 2024, after the UN World Tourism Organisation recorded 1.4 billion international tourists, the same level as 2019, with an additional increase of 4.9 per cent during the first half of this year. Europe maintained its position as the world’s largest destination with a 52 per cent market share through 758 million international visitors.