Germany, an increasingly attractive destination for Romanian tourists

Germany, with over 1.4 million overnight stays by Romanians in 2023 and a continuous increase in 2024, remains one of the most appreciated tourist destinations for Romanians, said Christian Plate, the business attache of the German Embassy in Bucharest, at the German Tourism Organization Conference. "Romania is a fantastic partner for us in tourism. There are many Romanians who travel to Germany, but also who live there. Events like Oktoberfest are symbols of the close relationship between the two countries," said the German diplomat.

• Cultural tourism and sustainability: priorities for 2024

In the vision of the German authorities, cultural and sustainable tourism are the main development directions for the post-pandemic period. "Germany offers more than just famous castles. From Berlin to the UNESCO-listed Museum Island, we have an extremely diverse cultural landscape that is suitable for conscious and educated tourism," Plate added.

• Germany - European leader in tourism

Christian Sallai, director of the German Tourism Organization, emphasized that Germany is the number one tourist destination for several European countries, but it is also important for tourists from outside the continent. "Even Chinese tourists choose Germany first when they come to Europe," Sallai said. Germany recorded more than 85.24 million overnight stays by foreign tourists in 2024, approaching the pre-pandemic level of 2019 (89.9 million). The increases are constant: +18.9% in the first post-pandemic year, +5.4% in 2023 compared to 2022. According to it, in the world tourism rankings, Germany climbed to 10th place from 11th place.

• Romanian tourists, increasingly present in Germany

According to a survey conducted in October 2024 on a sample of 1,000 Romanians, last year, they spent 1.41 million nights in accommodation units in Germany, an increase of 2.1% compared to the previous year. The trend continues, in the period January-March, over 326,429 overnight stays by Romanian tourists were recorded. "Germany is in third place in the preferences of Romanian tourists, which is remarkable, considering the competition from summer & beach destinations," pointed out Cristian Sallai. Tourism remains a key point in strengthening bilateral relations between Romania and Germany, and the strategy based on culture, sustainability and diversity is proving to be a winning bet for both countries.