TORONTO — Canadian visitation to Germany is strong and holding steady, with a 6% jump in overnights from the Canadian market in 2025, and a 0.4% uptick in the first 8 months of 2026.

Germany welcomed 748,581 overnight stays from Canada last year, said GNTO’s Director, Marketing & Sales Canada, Anja Brokjans.

These may be unpredictable times for international travel, but Canadian overnight stays in Germany have grown by 20% since 2016 and surpassed their 2019 level. Germany also ranked fifth among European destinations, after Italy, France, the UK and Spain, for Canadian outbound trips in 2025, according to IPK International’s World Travel Monitor.

Where are Canadians staying? Bavaria was the most popular region for Canadian visitors in 2025, accounting for nearly one-third of Canadian overnight stays. Berlin followed at 21%, and Hesse, home to Frankfurt, accounted for 11%.

While growth has naturally moderated in 2026, said Brokjans, “demand remains resilient and provides a solid foundation as we look ahead to 2027.”

Liz Campbell, Fork on the Move, and Sebastien Dillien, Lufthansa Group

50 AMATEUR CHEFS

Sprits were high and there was plenty of good cheer at yesterday’s ‘A Taste of Christmas in Germany’ event.

The food was excellent too, and not just because the GNTO knows how to put on a good spread. 

The luncheon took place at Cirillo’s Culinary Academy – so after the updates from the GNTO and Lufthansa Group, all attendees were put to work, donning aprons and wielding wooden spoons to cook a traditional German meal.

First up, there was Bavarian potato soup with little fried dumplings called Krapfen. The main course, Rouladen, featured a thin slice of beef wrapped around a filling of bacon and pickles with a slather of mustard. Sides included braised red cabbage and Spätzle, those delectable little German egg noodles. For dessert there was Bratapfel, a seasonal and much-loved German baked apple dessert filled with nuts, raisins and cinnamon, topped with a vanilla sauce.

The GNTO’s A Taste of Christmas in Germany luncheon took place at Cirillo’s Culinary Academy in Toronto

EXPLORING MULTIPLE DESTINATIONS

Culture, food and local traditions are often what make a trip memorable, said Brokjans. Canadian travel patterns underline the appeal of exploring multiple destinations within Germany. Touring holidays accounted for 56% of Canadian holiday trips to Germany in 2025, while 23% were city trips or visits to an event.

Germany’s museums, castles and historic towns can be combined with wine regions, scenic landscapes and local culinary experiences, giving travellers plenty of opportunities to shape a trip around their interests.

During the festive season, Christmas markets, traditional crafts and seasonal baking add another reason to visit. Christmas markets in Nuremberg, Cologne, Dresden, Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart and Aachen are perennial top draws.

WINTER CITY BREAKS

What drives not just Canadians, but visitors the world over to visit Germany? Emotional perceptions can be strong motivators. According to GNTO’s research, 41% of global travellers see Germany as a fascinating destination, followed by educational (39%), exciting (37%), relaxing (33%) and romantic (22%). 

So many of these are in play for Christmas season travel, said Brokjans. The GNTO’s ‘Season’s Greetings’ campaign captures the unique charm and festive atmosphere of the Christmas season, she added. After the holiday season, Germany stays right on trend with coolcation offerings including warm winter escapes and winter city breaks.

The GNTO’s other campaigns include ‘Next Stop: Travel Destination Germany’ inspiring visitors to explore Germany’s cities, ‘Culinary Germany’ with a focus on  regional flavours and ‘Feelgood’ showcasing sustainable travel experiences.

Germany’s overnights from the Canadian market saw a 6% jump in 2025, according to the GNTO’s Director, Marketing & Sales Canada, Anja Brokjans

LUFTHANSA GROUP: UP TO 89 WEEKLY NONSTOPS, FROM 6 CANADIAN GATEWAYS

The GNTO’s luncheon featured a Rouladen beef roll, braised red cabbage and Spätzle

The GNTO’s partner for yesterday’s lunch, Lufthansa Group, has as many as 89 weekly nonstop flights between Canada and Germany.

Christina Meakin, Director of Sales, Canada for Lufthansa Group, said that in addition to Germany visitation, the options for connections to other points in Europe and beyond are just about endless. “We’ve seen Canada grow significantly over the past few years,” said Meakin. “Canada is one of our biggest markets globally and we really do see strong demand.”

The Lufthansa Group’s list of airlines serving Canadian gateways includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Discover Airlines and Edelweiss. 

Discover Airlines just announced nonstop flights between Edmonton and Frankfurt for summer 2027, making YEG the sixth Canadian gateway for Lufthansa Group, along with Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Calgary and Vancouver.  

Germany’s events and attractions need-to-knows for 2027 include the 10th anniversary of Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and the reopening of the Berlin’s Pergamonmuseum after a decade of restoration work. 

More information is at Germany.travel.

Lead image caption (clockwise from left) Christina Meakin, Director of Sales, Canada for Lufthansa Group; Anja Brokjans, Director, Marketing & Sales Canada, GNTO and Tal Muscal, Director of Communications, The Americas, Lufthansa Group; GNTO and Lufthansa Group celebrate the season with Barbara de Tschaschell, Deputy Consul General Germany (far left), Yvonne Denz, Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (second from left) and Anne Wagner-Mitchell, Consul General of Germany (third from left)