Donald Trump is not only worrying European Union leaders but also tourism authorities who, though bullish about continuous growth, are kept guessing what the US President may come up with next.
The EU has just urged the US administration to desist from threatening to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium.
A similar sentiment was expressed in Dresden a few days ago when the German National Tourist Board gave its annual account of how the country performed in the tourism industry last year.
The figures – and, indeed, the forecasts – should give very little room for concern to the German tourism authorities, having registered another record year for the eighth consecutive time – 83.9 million international overnight stays in 2017. Yet, the board’s CEO, Petra Hedorfer, was not carried away by the numbers, saying one must keep both feet on the ground in view of decisions made by the US administration.
She had just been asked by an American journalist what she meant when she referred to the US political situation in her opening address.
The bulk of Germany’s tourism comes from Europe, attracting 56.2 million trips last year. It is the second most popular destination for Europeans after Spain (67 million trips). France ranks third with 41 million trips. Neighbouring Holland is the biggest source market.
Germany is evidently striving to retain this share and, indeed, improve it. Global forecasts are encouraging. The United Nations World Tourism Organisation says international arrivals will rise from 1.3 billion last year to 1.8 billion in 2030. In Europe, the figure is estimated to increase from 671.1 million to 744 million.
The German tourism authorities are confident Europe will remain their largest source region, attracting 73 per cent of the cake.
“Mobility is definitely on top of the European’s agenda,” Ms Hedorfer says.
But the figures give a clear indication of why certain political statements from across the Atlantic could be worrying. The US is Germany’s third most important source of arrivals, thus its biggest overseas market, posting an “exceptional” growth of 8.8 per cent
Tourist traffic from the Americas is likely to go up from last year’s 206.6 million arrivals to 248 million. Also, the highest rates of growth of all source regions for international travel are being generated in the Americas.
The travel industry is truly on the move and a four to five per cent growth in international arrivals is forecast for this year. In the first two months, Germany has already posted an increase of 5.2 per cent.
“Our target is to achieve an additional 50 million sales,” Ms Hedorfer says, quickly adding: “Without ambitions, goals and challenges business will become boring.” She is certain business will grow in future: “there’s no doubt about it.”
She categorises holidaymakers in “lookers” and “bookers”, those who just seek travel information online and others who actually make their bookings online.
Germany’s major cities continue to be popular, with 56 per cent of visitors going to destinations having over 100,000 inhabitants. Bavaria tops the list, attracting 19.1 million overnight stays.
Yet, the figures show that smaller towns and villages, having up to 10,000 inhabitants, are becoming increasingly popular. In fact, a 41 per cent growth was reported in this category between 2005 and 2017. This could well be attributed to the fact that almost a third of foreigners holidaying in Germany mention landscapes and scenery as “an important reason for travel”.