The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) is participating in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) this week, which is taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the first international travel trade event to take place in-person since the outbreak.
The GNTB wanted to raise awareness of what Germany and in particular Berlin, has to offer city, nature and culture enthusiasts living in the GCC countries, by showcasing the many facets and flair of Germany such as customs, crafts, local food and drink, culture and architecture, and the varied countryside and nature on the doorstep of many German cities.
The German capital Berlin is also looking forward to welcoming visitors from across the GCC to discover a reinvented city that has something new to discover on every corner, space for free spirits and a mix of heritage and innovation.
Despite a difficult 12 months, this year has realized many landmark projects in the city, such as the opening of the reconstructed city palace, the prestigious Humboldt Forum, and the reopening of Berlin’s leading art addresses, the Neue Nationalgalerie at the Kulturforum, underlining the intriguing nature of this ever-changing city.
The U5 metro line also has a new section connecting Berlin’s many cultural attractions, and the new international Berlin airport is also now open, a positive signal for improved global connections at a difficult time for the tourism industry.
Under the Berlin Health Excellence Initiative, launched by visitBerlin in early 2020, the city will also open its doors to medical tourists from the Middle East who visit Berlin in search of “Made in Berlin” medical expertise and cutting-edge medical services that the city is renowned for.
With a recent YouGov survey revealing that nearly half of the UAE and Saudi Arabia survey respondents are planning to make an international trip in 2021, the GNTB is eager to increase the GCC’s share of the 89.9 million overnight stays by foreign visitors it welcomed in 2019.
Speaking at a press conference at ATM in Dubai, Yamina Sofo, director sales and marketing, German National Tourist Office Gulf Countries, said: “With the success of the national vaccination programs in the GCC countries, particularly in the UAE where more than 11.5 million doses have been administered so far (over 70 percent of the UAE population have received vaccines and 40 percent are fully vaccinated), we remain optimistic that the pre-crisis level of incoming travel from the UAE to Germany can be regained by end of 2022.
“We hope to encourage demand for city and nature holidays coupled with sustainable tourism, which draws attention to the many different ways of discovering destination Germany with its wide range of traditions and attractions.”
