With overall growth of 3 per cent in 2007, the German tourism industry has managed to exceed even the levels seen during the sensational World Cup year of 2006, according to statistics published by the German Federal Statistical Office. The strongest growth was in the incoming sector, which saw growth of 3.5 per cent, but the domestic sector also recorded growth of 3 per cent to a total of 307.1 million overnight stays – a new record. (The statistics record overnight stays at campsites and in hotels and guesthouses with more than nine beds.)

In total, the German Federal Statistical Office registered approximately 361.8 million overnight stays in Germany in 2007 – a year-on-year increase of 10.8 million. Germany is shaping up to build on this growth in 2008: statistics for January reveal a 5.3 per cent rise in overnight stays by domestic and international visitors.

For all months except the World Cup month of June, statisticians calculated high year-on-year increases in both German and international visitors in 2007. "This trend illustrates that Germany is increasingly perceived as an all-year-round destination, which is a key factor for the economic stability of the tourism industry," commented Ernst Hinsken, the Federal Government Commissioner for Tourism.

The strongest boost for the incoming sector came from Europe. IPK International registered around 35.6 million trips to Germany from other European countries, just under 6 per cent more than 2006. So Germany is continuing to make progress at European level in the period following the World Cup. There was a particularly strong increase of 8 per cent in holiday travel in 2007, which accounts for more than half of all trips by Europeans; the number of business trips rose by 7 per cent. Germany now has a 9 per cent share of all trips by Europeans, catching up quickly with France and Spain. It is now in third place, just behind these two countries, in the European travel market.

Out of the six GNTB regional management areas, South East Europe led the way in 2007 with a 9.4 per cent rise in overnight stays. The two top performers were the recent EU members Slovakia (up 33 per cent) and Slovenia (up 37 per cent). The new EU states also boosted results for the North East Europe regional management team, which in 2007 recorded a 7.9 per cent rise in overnight stays compared with the previous year. The highest increases were in the Baltic States (Lithuania, up 32 per cent; Latvia, up 25 per cent; Estonia, up 17 per cent). However, Russia (up 14 per cent) and Ukraine (up 22 per cent) also made significant contributions.

Germany recorded growth in overnight stays from all of its neighbouring countries in 2007, with above-average increases in Poland (up 6 per cent), Austria (up 9 per cent) and Belgium (up 7 per cent). In 2007, for the first time ever, Germany rose to become the most popular travel destination for the Netherlands, its most important source market.

In 2007, results from Germany's intercontinental source markets suffered disproportionately from comparisons with the 2006 World Cup year, and from the euro gaining strongly against the US dollar. Despite this, overnight stays from the US, the most important overseas market, still managed a further, albeit slight, increase (up 0.2 per cent). What's more, decreases in visits from traditional footballing countries in year one after the World Cup were lower than the increases attributable to the event. For example, overnight stays from Brazil in 2006 rose 74 per cent on 2005, but then dropped only 9 per cent in 2007. This illustrates both the initial impact of the World Cup on inbound tourism and its enduring legacy in the medium-term. Front-runner in the Asian growth markets was India (up 33 per cent), followed by the Arab Gulf States (up 9 per cent), which have grown steadily
for several years now.

The most popular region for international visitors to Germany in 2007 was Bavaria (12.8 million overnight stays), followed by North Rhine-Westphalia (7.8 million) and Baden-Wurttemberg (7.4 million).

City destinations are becoming increasingly popular with visitors from abroad: Berlin leads the pack with 6.6 million overnight stays, followed by Munich (4.5 million).