The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has hailed 15 consecutive years of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) attendance, following this month’s recently concluded event. Having exhibited at the show since 2007, the GNTB brought six partners for this year’s iteration and launched two new campaigns, taking the opportunity to maximise visibility and business opportunities in the GCC.
This year’s ATM, which was held at Dubai World Trade Centre last week, saw Germany launch both ‘Embrace German Nature’ and ‘German.Local.Culture.’, which align with the country’s wider vision to develop and promote sustainable and cultural travel.
“ATM is always the best place for us to launch our big annual campaigns as it’s where all the greatest local and international travel minds gather,” said Yamina Sofo, director of sales and marketing at the German National Tourist Office (GNTO), the regional office of GNTB. “The buzz at ATM was electric and we received solid initial feedback, especially from our regional travel agents, on the relevance they hold for what GCC travellers seek on their vacations.”
‘Embrace German Nature’ enables the country to put a focus on its awe-inspiring landscapes and natural offerings. Just some of the key elements of Germany highlighted throughout the campaign include the country’s forests and lakes, blooming heathland, fairy tale valleys, breath-taking mountain scenery, and historical treasures. A country with more than a third of its land protected, Germany is proud to hold 300,000km of marked walking trails, and more than 76,000km of long-distance cycle routes. Combine that with 16 national parks, 104 nature parks, 16 UNESCO biosphere reserves, and three UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites and it makes for a country full of nature-led opportunities. For more information, click here.
Following a hugely successful first year in the region, the ‘German.Local.Culture.’ campaign is set to embark on its second foray with a host of new opportunities for visitors to experience. Educating tourists on traditional craftmanship as well as industrial architecture and local delicacies, the campaign encourages visitors to take a diverse view of Germany and its particular in-country experiences. For more information, click here.
GNTB was in attendance with six of its strongest partners: Baden-Baden Tourism Board, Breuninger, Frankfurt Tourism Board, Düsseldorf Tourism Board, Hotel Palace Berlin, and visitBerlin.
Holger Mahnicke, the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dubai, , attended this year’s event to reemphasise the importance of the GCC as an inbound travel market for Germany.
Key moments from partners include Baden-Baden Tourism highlighting its latest accomplishment of being awarded UNESCO World Heritage status as part of the ‘Great Spa Towns of Europe’; Frankfurt Tourism promoting its capabilities as an ideal holiday destination for the Arab traveller; Hotel Palace Berlin earmarking the GCC as a top priority for recent renovations; and Düsseldorf Tourism Board outlining its plans to draw in 20 percent growth in overnight stays from the region by 2023.
“It’s great to be back at ATM, experiencing the solid conversations and meetings with all the travel agents and tourism operators,” said Cornelia Stahr, Head of Global Marketing – Baden-Baden Tourism Board. “We’re very much looking forward to summer in Baden-Baden and welcoming many of our regular and new guests from the GCC.”
