Performances like this Pied Piper show always attract foreign tourists to Germany. Provided by the German National Tourist Board

Two thousand years of history and culture, a modern and cosmopolitan outlook, bustling towns and cities, and a rich variety of natural scenery - Germany, as a tourist destination, has all of this and much more.

In 2011, the German National Tourist Board registered nearly 64 million overnight stays by international visitors, 5.7 per cent more than in the previous year.

The nation saw impressive growth from the Asian markets. Chinese visitors made around 1.3 million overnight stays in Germany in 2011, up 21 percent from 2010.

This positive trend shows no sign of slowing in 2012. In the first seven months of the year, Germany registered nearly 852,000 overnight stays originating from the Chinese market, over 20 percent more than in the same period in 2011. The number has more than doubled since 2001, and the tourist board estimates that it will double again by 2020.

One reason for this marked increase is the relaxation of visa requirements for frequent travelers from China, an initiative that was introduced this year by the German government.

According to the Federal Foreign Office, Germany issued 224,000 visas to Chinese travelers in 2011, making it China's third biggest issuer of foreign visas.

The business sector in particular is seeing considerable growth. More than two-thirds of the visas granted are for business trips.

The number of trips made by independent travelers is also on the increase. In 2011, nearly 3,900 visas were issued to independent travelers in Beijing, almost twice as many as for people traveling in groups.

Shopping is one of the most popular leisure activities for Chinese people visiting Germany.

In the first six months of 2012, Chinese tourists completed nearly 305,000 tax-free transactions and accounted for almost a third of all revenue from tax-free goods in Germany. This represents a year-on-year increase of 66 percent.

The 2011/12 Quality Monitor tourism industry survey, a joint initiative of the GNTB and travel insurance company Europaische Reiseversicherung, revealed that Chinese people also travel to Germany to see the sights, such as natural scenery and attractive towns and cities. This explains the popularity of sightseeing tours and culturally oriented holidays.

Cultural scene

Germany also has so much to offer when it comes to culture and architecture.

Its vibrant cultural scene and 2,000 years of history have brought forth more than 100 classical concert halls, 130 opera, symphony and chamber orchestras, 40 major theater festivals and 37 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

These include not only outstanding historical monuments but also entire sections of towns, important sites of industrial heritage and exceptional natural landscapes.

In addition to traditional art and culture, Germany boasts a young and creative scene that is setting new trends in the fields of music, art, design, fashion and architecture.

Culture is a major focus for the German National Tourist Board, which markets Germany in the international markets. To combine this with a dominant trend toward living a healthy lifestyle, it has developed "city breaks and events" as well as "health and fitness holidays" as the main product lines.

In 2013, Germany will once again have a whole range of cultural highlights on offer.

In 2014, younger target groups will be addressed with the theme of "Germany for young people - vibrant, fashionable, innovative". Also in 2014, Germany's 37 World Heritage sites will be at the heart of the GNTB's activities, with one of the key themes for the year being 'UNESCO World Heritage in Germany - nature, cities and monuments'.

Next year, in addition to the annual themes, there will be a strong focus on the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner's birth. Towns and cities across Germany will be celebrating the world-famous composer with a wide variety of events throughout the year.

In 2013 the GNTB is using another 200th anniversary that of the Brothers Grimm fairytales - as an opportunity to promote Germany's cultural appeal.

On the website www.germany.travel, the GNTB now offers detailed information available in 29 languages, including Chinese, about holidays in Germany, with comprehensive content on city breaks, culture and arts, nature and relaxation. Additionally, there is now also a free app available via the website that presents the top 100 most popular sights as voted for by international visitors.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(HK Edition 10/11/2012 page10)