Q- What are the elements of attraction in Germany in terms of experiences?
Germany is a very diverse country. It has something to offer for travellers of every age group. It is the land of parks, places and gardens. There are more than 20,000 castles in the country. Besides it also has elements of entertainment. It has two huge opera houses, a number of theatres, cinema halls for Bollywood movie lovers, and more than 1000 Indian restaurants. Many of the restaurants have a rich cultural lineage and date back to the 17th century. Germany is a country full of historical value and we encourage people to come and explore because you are never too old for fairy tales.
Q- Which are the most popular cities in Germany that attract people for hosting weddings?
Berlin would be the number one on the list, owing to its geographical placement, really affordable costs, and a huge number of castles in the city. Castles really attract couples to have a fairy tale themed wedding in Germany. Berlin is also ranked as one of the top three party places in the world which adds another feather to its cap. Besides there is Munich, Stuttgart which is also observed as a major tourist attraction.
Q- What is the percentage of tourists Germany saw in the last two years?
There has been a dramatic rise in the number of Indian choosing a Germany as their preferred destination for various reasons. Indian students are showing more interest in German Universities and there has been a 20% growth in the number of students on that front. In terms of tourism we have seen a rise of 8% in the year 2016.
Q- What is Germany doing to promote tourism?
In terms of promotions we generally stick to digital platforms, we are en-cashing the use of new media for our promotion. You will not see our presence on TV, radio but there a lot online. We are now promoting travel agents to talk about Germany. We are conducting travel agents training programmes where we are getting travel agents to talk about Germany and be our ambassadors for the same.
Q- What is your message for event planners looking to organise weddings in Germany?
Weddings in Germany is a great idea, it is out of the box, could be themed a like fairy tale in any of the castles or on the Alps and can be literally an experience of a lifetime. The best part is the timing of most of the Indian weddings is mostly off season for tourism in Germany hence the rates are automatically lower. Pre planning of the event, channelling it in the right way could actually be very beneficial for the organisers.
