04.16 Focus on tourism in Germany. SPECIAL GTM Germany Travel Mart April 2016

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1 04.16 Focus on tourism in Germany SPECIAL GTM Germany Travel Mart April 2016

2 Inbound tourism workshop Inbound tourism workshop on 18 and 19 April Professional organisation and warm hospitality - Magdeburg was an outstanding host for the 42nd GTM After selecting Thuringia the previous year, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) decided, for the first time, on a destination in Saxony-Anhalt to host the Germany Travel Mart (GTM) in The state capital Magdeburg took the opportunity to showcase the region s tourist attractions and impressed the 500-plus international delegates with an eastern Germany have had the opportunity to showcase their regions at a GTM in partnership with the GNTB. Facts and figures about the 42nd GTM More than 500 key account managers and media representatives were registered for the 42nd GTM. The largest contingent was from Asia/Australia, with 130 delegates. Ninety-one industry professionals travelled to Magdeburg from south-east Europe and 85 from the Americas/Israel. Eighty delegates visited from north-east Europe, 69 from south-west Europe and 66 from north-west Europe. The focal point of the GTM was the twoday B2B workshop at Messe Magdeburg trade fair centre. Some 306 exhibitors from the hotel and transport sectors together with local and regional tourism organisations showcased the variety and quality of Germany s inbound tourism to an international audience of trade professionals. Thanks to an online networking tool, exhibitors and buyers were able to arrange meetings ahead of the GTM. The allotted time of 20 minutes allowed delegates to plan meetings with many of their contacts and use their time efficiently on the workshop days. Exhibitor survey confirms the success of the concept The GNTB surveyed the exhibitors at the event itself to obtain information and feedback. In 2016, only 9 per cent of exhibi- excellently organised workshop and a wide-ranging programme of accompanying events and activities. tors were attending a GTM for the first time, compared to 14 per cent the year before. This meant that the proportion of returning exhibitors had risen to more than 90 per cent proof of how well the concept The GTM is the biggest workshop for existing business partners and forge new This industry event is organised each is regarded. Of those surveyed, 89 per cent inbound tourism to Destination Germany. contacts, and to hold meetings, do business year by the GNTB in partnership with a dif- said they were satisfied or very satisfied At the invitation of the GNTB, key account and sign deals. They are joined at the two- ferent region or city. This year s GTM was with their participation at the GTM. And managers and journalists from all over the day event by German exhibitors from the hosted by Magdeburg Marketing und 87 per cent want to attend the event again world attend the German travel industry s hotel industry, inbound tourism and the Kongress GmbH (MMKT). Now that Saxony- in most important B2B platform to find out transport sector and by local and regional Anhalt and Magdeburg have hosted the about the latest travel trends, to meet tourism organisations. event, all of the new federal states in 2 DZT

3 International press conference International Press Forum: Monday, 18 April GNTB presents a review of 2015 and strategic plans for the coming years Over 130 journalists from 45 countries were accredited to cover the 42nd GTM. At the International Press Forum in the Maritim Hotel, they were given first-hand information on the latest trends, developments and prospects for Germany s inbound travel industry. Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the GNTB, reported on a highly impressive performance in 2015, with record results in inbound tourism for the sixth year in a row. top from l. to r.: Dr Tobias Heußler, Business Partner Sales/Head of International Sales at DB Vertrieb GmbH, Sandra Yvonne Stieger, Managing Director of Magdeburg Marketing Kongress und Tourismus GmbH, and Dr Carlhans Uhle, Managing Director of Investitions- und Marketinggesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbh 2015 saw growth from every continent, with half of this generated by Europe and half by the overseas markets Germany is the second most popular destination for Europeans after Spain The tourism industry directly employs 2.9 million people in Germany Total tourism revenue generated by foreign visitors who stay overnight in Germany is 34.1 billion below: Scenic routes of Germany campaign draws to a close with an award ceremony for the photo competition The GNTB ended last year s Scenic routes of Germany campaign by holding an award ceremony for its international photo competition. The winner, Dapeng He from China, who works as a journalist for the magazine Photographic Travel as well as for Canon Circle and Xitek. com, had travelled along the Castle Road. The award was accepted on his behalf by Zhaohui Li, Head of the GNTB in China. and ahead of France usa came first in the rankings of The holiday segment grew faster than Germany s highest-revenue source the market as a whole markets in 2015 with revenues of Air travel is the most popular mode of 4.7 billion, followed by Switzerland in future. Petra Hedorfer outlined the gen- Because of these factors, the GNTB fore- new campaign for transport ( 3.6 billion) and China ( 3.4 billion). eral challenges facing the industry as a casts a slower rate of growth for 2016 of long-distance rail travel In 2015, 80 per cent of European visitors In the places below this were Poland, whole and the specific challenges facing between 1 and 3 per cent. Improvements to the to Germany and 84 per cent of overseas the Arab Gulf States, the UK and Russia. Germany s inbound tourism industry: In order to continue the success story of international timetable Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the GNTB visitors used the internet at some point to plan their trip. Cautious optimism for 2016 The second part of the presentation was Changes in the security situation globally and in Europe Germany s ongoing refugee situation inbound tourism to Germany, the GNTB is forging ahead with its marketing campaigns that focus on new themes each year. As well The new ICx generation of InterCityExpress trains Intermodal and integrated German travel industry on track for success The journalists listened attentively to The economic importance of inbound tourism for Germany was also looked at: about the outlook for the year and the themes that the GNTB will be focusing on The global economy. as the basic themes covered by the two product lines towns, cities and culture and nature/recreation, the GNTB will be focusing this year s worldwide marketing activities on travel solutions. Magdeburg / Saxony-Anhalt as a tourist destination the presentation given by Petra Hedorfer, its holidays in the heart of nature campaign. Sandra Yvonne Stieger, Managing who started by looking back in detail over Next year, the focus will be on Luther 2017 Director of Magdeburg Marketing Kongress the previous year. 500 years since the Reformation. und Tourismus GmbH, and Dr Carlhans The first part of the presentation focused on the markets that had generated these record figures. Petra Hedorfer then New products and services from Deutsche Bahn Uhle, Managing Director of Investitions- und Marketinggesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbh, gave an overview of Saxony-Anhalt s went on to talk about how international vis- Dr Tobias Heußler, Business Partner place in German and European history. itors get to and from Germany and what Sales/Head of International Sales at DB They talked about World Heritage sites they do when they arrive. The key points: Vertrieb GmbH, presented new products (Quedlinburg, the Garden Kingdom of Foreign visitors made 79.7 million and services for inbound travel to Germany Dessau-Wörlitz, the Bauhaus in Dessau, overnight stays in 2015, a year-on-year on behalf of Deutsche Bahn, one of the and Wittenberg and Eisleben s Luther increase of 5.4 per cent GNTB s strategic partners and the country s memorials), areas of natural beauty (Harz Germany is Europe s fifth most popular main provider of rail services. The key points National Park and the UNESCO Middle Elbe destination for international travellers of his talk were: Biosphere Reserve), and Reformation events. 4 DZT

4 Supporting programme in Quedlinburg Supporting programme in Magdeburg Supporting programme: Saturday, 16 April 2016 Pre-opening event in the historical setting of Quedlinburg Programme: Sunday, 17 April 2016 Official opening at the Maritim Hotel and on cathedral square in Magdeburg The traditional GTM pre-opening event started in Quedlinburg, a UNESCO World Heritage town steeped in history and culture and famous for its collegiate church and castle hill. In her role as host, Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the GNTB, welcomed the visitors to the Romanesque church. Dr Tamara Zieschang, State Secretary at the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of Sciences and Economic Affairs, was present as the representative from the state government. Historical sacred music created an evocative atmosphere, and the visitors had plenty of opportunities later to take in the World Heritage town on a walk to the old quarter, accompanied by street performers. The get-together at Palais Salfeldt a combination of a historical building and modern conference centre gave the delegates the opportunity to meet new business partners and catch up with existing contacts in a relaxed atmosphere, while enjoying variety performances. from l. to r.: Dr Tamara Zieschang, State Secretary at the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of Sciences and Economic Affairs; Dieter Gauf, Chief Executive Officer of the International Coach Tourism Federation; Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the GNTB; Klaus Laepple, President of the GNTB Board of Directors; Iris Gleicke, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and Federal Government Commissioner for SMEs, Tourism and the New Federal States; Heike Brehmer, Member of the German Parliament (CDU/CSU), Chair of the German Bundestag s Tourism Committee; Reinhard Werner, Commercial Director of the GNTB A city with a long history and a rich cultural heritage, Magdeburg used the GTM as an opportunity to stage an impressive opening event. In order to make the local people aware of this important sales event long before it started, the city s tourism Dr Lutz Trümper, Mayor of Magdeburg representatives launched a campaign entitled Magdeburg is smiling at you. The campaign themes could be seen again at the opening ceremony. Welcome addresses were given during the official ceremony at the Maritim Hotel by Iris Gleicke, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and Federal Government Commissioner for SMEs, Tourism and the New Federal States, Dr Lutz Trümper, Mayor of Magdeburg, and Klaus Laepple, President of the Board of Directors of the GNTB. Petra Hedorfer then declared the 42nd GTM to be officially open. Performers playing two of the most famous figures in the city s history Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great and the scientist Otto von Guericke guided the audience through the evening s programme. The musical entertainment ranged from classical music to the celebrated pop-rock band Tokio Hotel. Later in the evening, outside the illuminated cathedral, there was a reconstruction of the famous attempt to prise open the Magdeburg hemispheres. 6 DZT

5 Supporting programme in Magdeburg Seminar day Supporting programme: Monday, 18 April 2016 Hosts evening at FestungMark - the Middle Ages brought to life The courtyards, cannon passages and casemates of this former Prussian fortress at the heart of Magdeburg are now a vibrant arts centre and versatile events venue. For the hosts evening, a historical festival was organised by Magdeburg Marketing und Kongress GmbH, which presented the history of Magdeburg since the Middle Ages and featured actors portraying famous figures from the city s past. The evening came to an end with a fire show in the courtyard before the delegates made their way back to the GTM hotels by public transport. News about Luther 2017 workshop in preparation of Luther years since the Reformation Seminar day Key selling points for Destination Germany Kicking off the GTM: the educational programme. As well as highlighting a current tourism trend, the programme of seminar workshops provides information on specific products from the GNTB s strategic partners and on sales-supporting initiatives for inbound travel to Germany. Ricarda Lindner, Head of the GNTB in New York, opened the educational programme for international buyers at the Maritim Hotel in Magdeburg with a presentation entitled Why Germany is just the right product for you. Deutsche Bahn workshop Jochen Nehr, Head of Media Management at the GNTB, gave a presentation on the topic How digitisation is changing our business. Five seminar workshops provided key account managers from the international travel industry with information on specific tourism products with development potential for inbound tourism in Germany, as well as products from strategic partners and the host region. Workshop 1 with Uwe Peukert, Key Account Manager at Lufthansa, was entitled The Lufthansa Group the leading airline group. Workshop 2 was run by Marcel Noee, International Marketing Manager at Deutsche Bahn. His subject: Deutsche Bahn, German Railways Sell European rail travel the smart way. At workshop 3, Sandra Yvonne Stieger, Managing Director of Magdeburg Marketing Kongress und Tourismus, introduced the host city of Magdeburg. Olaf Schlieper, the GNTB s Innovations Manager, talked about barrier-free tourism in Germany in workshop 4. News about Luther 2017 was the title of workshop 5, run by Ricarda Lindner from the GNTB in New York together with Harald Henning from the GNTB in Zurich. Representatives from tourism organisations presented specific products, services, events and tourist highlights related to the Reformation anniversary. They were Barbara Weinert-Nachbagauer (Saxony-Anhalt), Sylvia Loeber (Saxony-Anhalt/Magdeburg), Carolina von Stojentin (Thuringia), Wolfgang Gärtner (Saxony) and Michael Amthor (Bavaria/Coburg). 8 DZT

6 Programme for journalists Pre-convention tours and programme for journalists Programme for journalists Special programme for the media presenting them with information on the latest products and exciting themes Journalists from around the world whom the GNTB accredited for the GTM were able to gather a whole host of story ideas for reporting on Destination Germany from the wide-ranging programme. There was particularly keen interest in the UNESCO sites associated with Martin Luther and the Bauhaus. Tour 1 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Lutherstadt Wittenberg: The tour began at the castle church, where Luther nailed his theses to the door an act that is considered the trigger of the Reformation movement before continuing by road train to sites associated with Luther, Melanchthon and Lucas Cranach the Younger. Tour 2 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Dessau: The programme included a tour of sites associated with the Bauhaus movement and a gondola ride in the Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz. Tour 3 The Harz region and UNESCO World Heritage town of Quedlinburg: The one-day itinerary started with a tour of Quedlinburg s historical old quarter and a visit to castle hill with the Romanesque collegiate church. The media representatives were then able to admire Harz National Park on a trip on a historical steam train. Tour 4 Magdeburg s sporty side: This tour started with a climb to the top of the tower at St John s Church, where Martin Luther preached in The tour then continued by bike along the Elbe Cycle Route to Elbauen Park with the Millennium Tower before reaching Magdeburg sports club, home to world-class canoeists. After a dragon boat race on the Elbe, the participants headed back to the city centre via Rotehorn country park. Tour 5 Architecture and technology: On this tour, the journalists saw the famous Green Citadel designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and Otto-Richter-Strasse, a street designed in the 1920s under the then director of urban development, Bruno Taut. The tour then moved on to the Millennium Tower and the Magdeburg Water Bridge, a masterpiece of engineering that allows the Mittelland Canal to cross the river Elbe. Tour 6 Magdeburg s highlights: This walking route, steeped in history, included the Old Town Hall, St John s Church (where Otto von Guericke is buried), the Monastery of Our Lady, the Green Citadel one of Friedensreich Hundertwasser s final masterpieces cathedral square and the Fürstenwall medieval fortification. International journalists see what s on offer: Hundertwasser building in Magdeburg (left), Reichstag dome in Berlin as part of the Barrier-Free Travel tour (right) Pre-convention tours Compact and captivating itineraries showing international buyers a wide variety of tourism highlights At the 42nd GTM the international delegates were given the opportunity to take part in one of eight themed tours Tour 1 Luther ahead of the workshops in order to familiarise themselves with the host region and to learn more about the products and services related to the current themebased campaigns. Route 1: Nuremberg Coburg Eisenach Wittenberg Magdeburg Route 2: Wittenberg Halle Eisleben Magdeburg Tour 2 Culinary Germany all about beer Route 1: Bayreuth Bamberg Leipzig Magdeburg Route 2: weltenburg Abbey Franconian Switzerland Bayreuth Weimar Magdeburg Tour 3 Magic Cities Route: Frankfurt Düsseldorf Hannover Magdeburg Tour 4 Nature and Sustainable Travel Route 1: Berlin Mecklenburg Schwerin Magdeburg Route 2: rhön Harz Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz Magdeburg Tour 5 Historic Highlights of Germany Route: Koblenz Münster Osnabrück Magdeburg Tour 6 Holidays of variety in Magdeburg and its surroundings Route: Magdeburg Autostadt in Wolfsburg Marienborn memorial site Magdeburg Tour 7 Barrier-Free Travel Route: Berlin Wolfsburg (Phaeno science centre) Goslar Magdeburg left: Tour 1 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Lutherstadt Wittenberg; right: Tour 6 Magdeburg s highlights 10 DZT

7 Sustainability at the heart of the inbound tourism workshop The GTM has been a green event since As in previous years, the GNTB focused on numerous aspects of sustainability for the 42nd edition of the GTM, such as offsetting the carbon emissions of delegates international travel. Public transport was used for transfers within the host city of Magdeburg. The catering provided at the workshop and other associated events used regionally sourced food and drink rather than exotic produce. Hosts for the GTM in 2017: Nuremberg and Bavaria The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has named Bavaria as the host for the 43rd Germany Travel Mart (GTM). On the final day of this year s event, host Sandra Yvonne Stieger, Managing Director of Magdeburg Marketing Kongress und Tourismus GmbH (MMKT), handed over the GTM Cup to Jens Huwald, Managing Director of Bayern Tourismus Marketing (by.tm), and Yvonne Coulin, Managing Director of Congress- und Tourismus-Zentrale Nürnberg. The idea for the 2017 GTM in Nuremberg is to convey a vibrant and modern image but at the same time to further raise the profile of tradition, history and highlights with which many people will already be familiar. In 2017, the GTM will oscillate between the modern and the traditional, explained Jens Huwald, as he accepted the GTM Cup. Yvonne Coulin added: With the opera The GTM Cup passes to Bavaria for 2017: pictured from l. to r.: Sandra Yvonne Stieger, Managing Director of Magdeburg Marketing Kongress und Tourismus GmbH; Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the German National Tourist Board; Jens Huwald, Managing Director of Bayern Tourismus Marketing GmbH (by.tm); Yvonne Coulin, Managing Director of Congress- und Tourismus-Zentrale Nürnberg house and the Germanic National Museum, we have first-class venues for the supporting programme, while Nuremberg Exhibition Centre offers superb technical facilities for informative seminars and engaging and productive workshops. German National Tourist Board (GNTB) Beethovenstrasse Frankfurt am Main Tel: +49 (0) Fax: +49 (0) info@germany.travel