TORONTO — Arrivals to Germany from Canada were up 3% in 2018, contributing to record visitation for the European favourite for the ninth year in a row.

Preliminary figures from Germany’s Federal Statistical Office, released today by the German National Tourist Board, show 87.7 million overnights from international travellers to Germany from January to December 2018. That’s up 3.8 million from 2017, an increase of 5%.

“At plus 5%, German incoming tourism grew even more dynamically in 2018 than in the two previous years (plus 1.4 and plus 3.6 percent),” says Petra Hedorfer, CEO, German National Tourist Board.

“Favourable economic conditions and stability in important source markets contributed to this excellent result. On the other hand, we see here the confirmation that together with our partners we are consistently aligning our global marketing efforts with current challenges of the digital transformation. This enables us to analyze even more efficiently individualized customer needs, and develop suitable offers with our tourism partners.”

Speaking to the increase from the Canadian market, Julia Dywelski, Director Marketing and Sales for the German National Tourist Office in Canada said: “2018 was all about presenting Germany as a culinary destination. From amazing home-style cooking pubs to high end Michelin starred restaurants, Destination Germany offers a world of flavours to satisfy every kind of traveller.”

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus architectural movement as well as the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

With the roll out of a digital marketing offensive, Destination Germany will focus its communication efforts on creating and further branding awareness and inspiration to guarantee an unforgettable travel experience, adds Dywelski.