Germany rated as safest tourism destination

Germany, one of the most visited countries in the world, has been rated by Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Reports as the safest travel destination worldwide.
From the Baltic Sea to the Alps, Germany today is more popular as a tourist destination than it has ever been before.
Most of the tourists visiting the country come from the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the US besides a large number of them from Saudi Arabia and Gulf states.
The number of visitors from Saudi Arabia is increasing as alongside the UK. Germany today counts amongEurope’s two top ranking travel destinations for Saudi tourists with 23 percent and 22 percent of Saudi travelers visiting the countries respectively.
This is in addition to a large number of Saudi and Gulf businessmen visiting Germany for business as well as for leisure every year.
Turkey (14 percent) ranks third followed by France (9 percent).
According to a report provided by the German embassy in Riyadh, about 450,000 visitors from the Gulf states have arrived at German airports during the first six months of 2013, 74 percent of them for tourism purposes. The number of arrivals from the Gulf countries increased in 2012 by about 30 percent.
The same trend can be observed for the number of overnight stays by tourists from the Gulf states, which have increased by 27 percent in 2012 compared to 2011 to reach 1.3 million.
In the whole of 2013, the German tourism industry expects the number of overnight stays by travelers from the Gulf countries to rise to 1.5 million.
The trend is rising as it is expected that overnight stays of visitors from the Arab Gulf countries will reach 2 million until 2020. With about 40 percent of all overnight stays Bavaria and its capital city Munich remain by far the strongest magnet for visitors from the Gulf region.
With its beautiful landscape and historic cities, Bavaria is attracting more and more tourists from Saudi Arabia.
Frankfurt ranks second after Munich followed by Berlin and Dusseldorf as most popular cities for tourists from the Gulf.
The German capital is especially popular among young people because they discovered Berlin as an excellent destination for the summer season.
In 2012, Berlin achieved a new record, with almost 11 million guests and around 25 million overnight stays (signifying a 11.4 percent or 2.5m increase compared to 2011).
Thus the city continues to build upon its reputation as the third most popular tourist destination in Europe. Foreign tourists make up almost half of the visitors.
Holidaymakers from the Gulf states are increasingly choosing Berlin.
Among the things they appreciate in the city are the affordable hotel prices, which are considerably lower than in other major international cities.
Gulf states are the fourth most important economic market for Germany.
The number of visitors from other Asian countries is also growing as an increase of about 20 percent has been reported in visitors from China, Japan is not far behind at 17.3 percent.
Germany’s tourism industry, which generates revenues of about €280 billion every year and employs 2.9 million people, is thus heading for its third record number of international bookings in a row. As far as travel habits are concerned, there is a trend away from long vacations toward several shorter trips. According to the GNTB (German National Tourist Board), Germany’s advantages primarily lie in its wide range of cultural sights and events and its central location.
Germany as a travel destination is a unique mix of breathtaking landscapes, state-of-the-art technology and quality shopping. Best known for its famous Oktoberfest and World War II history, Germany is also home to some of Europe’s most beautiful scenery, fairytale castles, important historic sites, museums and cathedrals set amidst exceptional natural landscapes and greeneries.
The country has plenty of fantastic tourist attractions and unique sights to offer.
Every year, international visitors travel to Germany to see architectural treasures and fascinating places of natural beauty. Located in the heart of Europe, the Federal Republic of Germany is the strongest economy in the European Union.
Germany has about 38 places on the UNESCO World Heritage list that stand evidence of some 2000 years of history.
Since reunification, Germany has gained a higher profile as a travel destination with the most visited destination is its capital city, Berlin. Tourists visit Berlin to witness a significant event in world history, the demolition of the Berlin wall in 1989 that marks the economic and political reunification of Germany.
The Berlin wall stood for 28 years, dividing Berlin into East and West Berlin.
The historical importance attached to it makes it an important tourist attraction.
The remains of the famous wall has now become a 1,300 meters of art gallery displaying the ‘100 murals’ by artists from around the world.
The art interprets the meaning of peace and liberty felt after the historic 1989. Berlin has a significant cultural identity of its own.
One of the most fascinating capitals in Europe, Berlin represents a rich and vibrant culture.
It’s a happening city where one can witness various artistic works and a living culture.
Berlin is teeming in historic monuments, museums and the world famous ‘Olympic Stadium that unfolds the history of this region.
One of the most famous landmarks in Europe the “Brandenburg Gate”, built in the 18th century, is the only surviving city gate of Berlin and it symbolizes the reunification of East and West Berlin.
This year Berlin celebrates the 23rd anniversary of the German Unification at Brandenburg Gate with entertainment programs and street celebrations for families. For many years the GNTB has been promoting this kind of tourism with thematic advertising campaigns conducted all over the world. Many major and some minor German cities have excellent theater ensembles, ballets, and opera houses.
Berlin and Munich are especially important centers for performing arts. With over 6 million annual visitors, the Oktoberfest in Munich being held since 1810 is the largest folk’s fest in the world.
The festival is an important part of Bavarian culture. Also, Munich square in city center is a cultural hub and is worth visiting.
Scenic drives, hiking and horse riding through the Black Forest are popular things to do as well as cruises on the beautiful Rhine River with its marvelous views of picture-perfect sceneries like in movies.
Providing a romantic interlude, the river Rhine carves its way here through steep vineyard-covered hills topped with countless castles and ruins.
In Rothenberg, enroot the ‘Romantic Road’ half-way between Frankfurt and Munich, tourists can meander through this medieval city and absorb the rich history of architecture and art. Must-see attractions include the stunning Gothic cathedral of Cologne and the iconic fairytale ‘Neuschwanstein castle’, the most photographed structure in Germany that resonated as an inspiration for the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ castles in the Disneyland parks.
With historic treasures like the famous ‘Heidelberg Castle’ and the medieval ‘Old Bridge’, the Heidelberg-old city is a must visit.
The city center has retained its flamboyant charm of narrow streets, picturesque houses, restaurants, museums, art galleries and local markets.
The largest city in Germany’s federal state of Saxony, Leipzig, known for its vibrant arts and culture scene is a favorite destination for visitors as well.
The region is trendy among tourists, attracting the interest of holiday-makers with its own charm and almost unlimited possibilities of appealing to visitors’ tastes. Another famous landmark ‘Rugen Island’ in the Baltic Sea is the largest island in Germany, connected to the mainland by the Rugen Bridge and Rugen Causeway. Charming villas, seaside resorts and beautiful beaches draw tourists to Rugen Island, but the star attraction is the Jasmund National Park, famous for its unique Rugen chalk cliffs rising 528 feet over the sea.
Other important cities include Dresden, Frankfurt- the digital hub, Hamburg, Rothenberg, and Hamelin city.
All of these cities offer significant historic sites, museums and arts their culture have often been reflected in classic literature scenes for ages. Tourism in Germany has a remarkable mix of historical heritage, art and culture, world events and sports facilities that include the famous Olympic Stadium is worth mentioning as well.
Internationally competitive offering with modern wellness and medical tourism are popular among the Saudi tourists. Appreciable German hospitality and service commitment represented in its people, places of beauty, haute cuisine and the luxury hotel sector keeps tourists coming back for more.
Unique Wuppertal suspended monorail is gaining popularity as a minor tourist destination, recently.
Every day, over 80,000 passengers use it as a reliable means of transport and a sure-fire way of beating the traffic jams.
With leading manufacturers of a series of high-quality German automobiles, such as Porsche, Mercedes Benz, and BMW, Germany has reigned much over hundred years of unraveled competence in Automobile technology.
Hundreds of thousands of people visit BMW’s four-cylinder ‘BMW Tower’ and the bowl-shaped ‘BMW Museum’ next to it each year in Munich.
The museum showcases the technical development of cars and motorcycles and some exhibits about the history of the company.
Many old cars and motorcycles are on display along a spiral ramp that curls along the inside of the bowl-shaped building.
The latest BMW cars and motorcycles can be seen in the BMW Tower. One
can learn about the technology and design elements used by the company.
The more recent Mercedez Benz Museum in Stuttgart, inaugurated in 2006 as a run up attraction around 2006 FIFA world cup for the touring guests, is another cherished site.
Apart from being an architectural attraction, the Mercedes-Benz Museum provides credentials of over 125 year history of the automobile industry and displays 160 vehicles. It is a good place to take you children for an educational trip.
It is expected that by 2018, Germany could overtake the United States, becoming the second largest producer of electric cars worldwide, according to figures published by McKinsey’s electric car index Evi.
Germany has become one of the key destinations for tourists from Gulf countries and the tourism industry witnesses a growth of 20-30 percent year on year.
Under the new visa procedure, in 2012, the German embassy issued 40,770 visas, setting a new record and increasing the numbers by 72 percent compared to 2011. Visitors planning to travel to Germany for tourism or business purposes will require a short term visa for the Schengen states.
All relevant information can be found on the website of the German Embassy (riad.diplo.de).
Short term visa applications are to be submitted to one of the Joint Visa Application Centers in Riyadh, Alkhobar, and Jeddah (de.vfsglobal.sa.com).
People applying for a Schengen visa for the first time should keep in mind that they have to appear there personally for collection of their biometric data.
For subsequent trips the applicants’ personal appearance is not required anymore.