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Christmas at Frankfurt Airport: Gift cards, shopping, dining and much more

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During the weeks before Christmas, the terminals at Frankfurt Airport are incandescent with the glow of thousands of lights. Like every year, shops and restaurants invite guests to go on an extensive shopping tour while taking advantage of attractive bargains and yuletide culinary creations. Major international brands mingle with regional and “typical German” products. Small but exquisite owner-run boutiques are interspersed with startlingly innovative shops that would be hard to find anywhere else.

The airport’s Visitor Service has come up with a very special gift idea: an “experience gift card” that entitles bearers to immerse themselves in the fascination of the airport. The card can be purchased for any amount starting at seven euros. It can be used for one of the many different airport tours, for the Visitors’ Terrace, or for making purchases in the shop run by the Visitor Service, which carries a wide range of unusual articles and souvenirs that delight aviation fans of all ages (they can naturally also be bought in the usual way). The gift cards are available for downloading from www.FRA-Gutscheine.com, and you can print them out yourself along with a personalized greeting. They can also be bought in the “FRA Airport Tours & Shop” in the departures hall of Terminal 1 or at the entrance to the Visitors’ Terrace.

Last-Minute Home Shopping

If you prefer to shop from the comfort of your home or hotel, you’ll find lots to choose from in the Frankfurt Airport Online Shop. At Christmas time there is a gift finder that provides tips on what to give her or him or children and suggests electronic products, sweets and other foods and much more for any budget. Frankfurt Airport is also ideal for last-minute shopping and purchases: the shops and restaurants are open on all holidays―on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Even until 6 p.m., and on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day starting as early as 9 a.m.

Passengers and visitors can find more information on the wide range of services available at Frankfurt Airport by visiting its website, service shop, or Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube social media pages.

Fraport reports solid revenue and earnings performance in first nine months of 2019

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Fraport AG continued its growth trend in the first nine months of the 2019 business year, achieving an increase in both revenue and earnings.

This positive performance was driven by solid traffic growth at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and the Fraport Group’s airports worldwide. However, the growth momentum has been slowing down during the year to date.

Fraport AG’s executive board chairman, Dr. Stefan Schulte, said: “Our industry is being impacted by the weaker global economy and consolidation of the European aviation market. Furthermore, regulatory interventions by the German government – such as the planned increase to the national air traffic tax – are also affecting our sector.

After a phase of rapid traffic growth, airlines are cutting back their plans and thinning out their winter schedules. Nevertheless, we are maintaining our full-year outlook for the 2019 business year – also backed by the ongoing positive performance of our Group airports worldwide. Thanks to Fraport’s large and diversified portfolio of international airports, we are well positioned for the future.”

International activities boost growth in revenue and earnings

In the January-to-September 2019 period, Fraport’s Group revenue increased by 12.0 percent to €2,852.2 million year-on-year. After adjusting for proceeds related to expansion investments at the Group‘s airports worldwide (based on
IFRIC 12), revenue rose by 5.2 percent to €2,486.7 million. At Frankfurt Airport, factors contributing to revenue growth included higher proceeds from ground handling services, airport and infrastructure charges, as well as security services. Retail, parking and advertising revenue also increased significantly. However, Fraport’s international portfolio clearly continued to be the largest revenue driver. In particular, the Group company in Lima (up €30.5 million), Fraport Greece (up €25.4 million) and Fraport USA (up €21.8 million) contributed substantially to the Group’s adjusted revenue growth.

The operating result or Group EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) rose by 7.7 percent to €948.2 million in the nine-month reporting period. The first-time application of IFRS 16 had a positive effect on EBITDA, adding €34.0 million year-on-year. From the beginning of January 2019, the mandatory IFRS 16 international financial reporting standard establishes new rules for the accounting of leases – specifically affecting the accounting of lease contracts concluded by Fraport USA. At the same time, the application of IFRS 16 alone resulted in a €32.8 million increase in depreciation and amortization. Group EBIT saw a correspondingly moderate rise of 2.6 percent to €595.3 million. The Group result (or net profit) grew noticeably by 9.4 percent to €413.5 million. This was due to the improved operating result, as well as the markedly higher contribution from the Group subsidiary in Antalya, which is consolidated using the at equity method.

Solid traffic performance achieved despite slowing growth momentum

Passenger traffic at Frankfurt Airport advanced by a solid 2.3 percent to about 54.2 million travelers during the first nine months of the year. This growth momentum, however, decelerated noticeably over the course of the year. Based on current planning by the airlines, FRA will see a four percent reduction in the number of flights for the 2019/20 winter schedule (effective October 27) compared to the same schedule in the previous year. This reduction is due entirely to the 5.6 percent decline in European traffic, while scheduled intercontinental flights will climb by nearly 2 percent.

Fraport’s Group airports worldwide also saw passenger traffic largely increase in the first nine months, despite some airlines reducing flight offerings or even filing for bankruptcy. Only at the Fraport Twin Star airports of Varna and Burgas, combined passenger traffic dropped noticeably by 11.6 percent year-on-year.

Outlook confirmed

Fraport AG’s executive board is maintaining its full-year traffic outlook for Frankfurt Airport. Given the reduction in flight offerings for the current winter schedule, FRA’s passenger growth is expected to reach the lower end of the forecast range of about 2 percent to 3 percent. The executive board is also maintaining the financial outlook for the full 2019 business year. Group EBITDA is expected to be reach between approximately €1,160 million and €1,195 million, while Group EBIT is forecast between about €685 million and €725 million. Group EBT is projected to be around €570 million to €615 million, and the Group result (net profit) between approximately €420 million and €460 million.

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Fraport: Growth momentum slows in October 2019

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Some 6.4 million passengers traveled through Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in October 2019, up 1.0 percent compared to the same month last year.

In the first ten months of 2019, passenger traffic at FRA grew by 2.2 percent. In the reporting month, aircraft movements decreased by 1.3 percent to 45,938 takeoffs and landings, while accumulated maximum takeoff weights (MTOWs) contracted slightly by 0.3 percent to about 2.8 million metric tons. Cargo throughput (airfreight + airmail) dropped by 7.3 percent to 179,273 metric tons. Overall, FRA’s traffic development in October was impacted by the global economic slowdown, reductions in flight offerings, and a number of airline bankruptcies.

These dampening factors also affected some of Fraport’s Group airports worldwide. Ljubljana Airport (LJU) in Slovenia served 99,231 passengers in the reporting month, down 38.5 percent. Fraport’s two Brazilian airports of Fortaleza (FOR) and Porto Alegre (POA) saw combined traffic decline by 2.5 percent to some 1.3 million passengers. Growing by 2.6 percent, Peru’s Lima Airport (LIM) recorded nearly 2.0 million travelers.

Fraport’s 14 Greek regional airports posted combined traffic growth of 1.6 percent to around 2.5 million passengers. In Bulgaria, traffic at the Fraport Twin Star airports of Varna (VAR) and Burgas (BOJ) decreased by 5.7 percent overall to 145,772 passengers. In contrast, Antalya Airport (AYT) in Turkey saw traffic rise by 10.7 percent to about 4.1 million passengers. Pulkovo Airport (LED) in St. Petersburg, Russia, also achieved a 10.6 percent increase, serving some 1.7 million passengers. At Xi’an Airport (XIY) in China, traffic advanced by 3.4 percent to over 4.1 million passengers.

For more news about Fraport, please click here.

Customized Tours Connecting Visitors and The Locals In East Africa

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Augustine Tours offer tours to East Africa which are tailor-made for their tourists based on their travel wishes. The tour company is of the opinion that those who travel independently or in small group tours to East Africa have varied opportunities to indulge in a vast tourism potential that goes beyond wildlife game drives and gorilla safaris.

Augustine Tours also opines that using a local tour operator is a great option that “Speak to someone who’s been there” if tourists aren’t familiar with the destination they are traveling to. The local experts are those people whose mission is to make sure that tourists get things right from the single and simple details of the planning to the execution of the tour. Nobody knows the destination better than the locals.

The tour choice is obviously diverse, the travel information is usually available through different travel blogs and browsing online and landing onto an itinerary that matches your needs might be challenging”, remarked Augustine tours. 

Although tourism refers to travel, it goes beyond flying to different countries, crossing airports, staying in hotels, driving around beautiful cities, taking pictures of white sand beaches, green hills. Tourists with varied demographics from younger to older generations including upscale, budget or eco-tourists alike can enjoy tours designed and run by locals while contributing to the local economy, Augustine Tours says.

Augustine Tours, as a Rwanda based tour company with a Europe office in Germany, focuses on tailor-made tours through private and small groups travels. This, according to the company, implies giving visitors tailor-made tours that benefit local employment.

On its website, there is a post discussing the advantages of customized tours in connecting visitors and the locals. Tourists traveling with Augustine Tours have an option of choosing from the offers available on its website or going for tailor-made tours that are usually designed from the tourist wish-list to meet special wishes.

The tour company encourages inquiries about tailor-made tours and that isn’t an extra work other than their usual. With their local expertise, they are happy to produce a fresh tour itinerary coming from the client’s wish-list polished with available/doable activities within their budget and time.

The company highlights a tour that has received massive praise from their clients- 9 Days 4 Countries Tour, an adventure tour taking you to Rwanda, Uganda, DR Congo, and Burundi, offering amazing experiences on Gorilla trekking, Nyiragongo Volcano, beautiful sceneries, lakes, waterfalls, and cultural visits. The tour price starts from €2656.00 per person sharing on Half board basis excluding international flights. 

 Augustine Tours was founded in 2010 and focuses on creating and promoting tailor-made tours offering authentic and unique travel experiences benefiting visitors and local employment while preserving the cultural heritage, wildlife, and nature. It serves individuals and companies with an interest in leisure and corporate trips to East Africa. Its offers are flexible and can always be adjusted according to the needs of the clients.

Source: www.augustinetours.com

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Lufthansa makes dedicated staff look bad: The eTN Hero is Patricia Dzai of Swissport Johannesburg

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Lufthansa

“My personal hero today is Ms. Patricia Dzai. Patricia works for Swissport in Johannesburg, South Africa,” said eTN Publisher Juergen Steinmetz. Swissport is one of the largest aviation ground-handling agencies operating in countries around the world.

Major airlines hire Swissport to manage customer relations and logistics when it comes to baggage handling, including lost or misplaced items.

Lufthansa German Airlines’ ground handler in Johannesburg is Swissport. I recently traveled from Nice to Cape Town via Frankfurt and Johannesburg on Lufthansa German Airlines. I am a United Airlines Star Alliance Gold member and traveled on Lufthansa in Business class. Lufthansa is a member of Star Alliance.

When I arrived in Johannesburg, I heard my name called by Lufthansa’s lost baggage office handled by Swissport.

I was told my tube was still in Frankfurt, and they would put it on the next flight to Johannesburg. I explained it was of utmost importance to have the tube for an important trade show event, the World Travel Market in Cape Town, in the morning.

Patricia Dzai, the Swissport agent in Johannesburg, wanted to make sure this would be possible and sent an urgent message to Lufthansa in Frankfurt. The message said:

 

 

 

 

 

I was pleased to know my tube would go on LH 576 directly to Cape Town almost in time for the start of World Travel Market.

I went on to fly to Cape Town and received a text message in the evening saying my tube would be on the Lufthansa flight to Johannesburg, which was different from what Patricia had requested. Since it was late and the Swissport office in Johannesburg was closed, I was able to find a non-published phone number for Lufthansa baggage service in Frankfurt. Lufthansa, like most airlines, is hiding phone numbers to encourage passengers to communicate only by email.

I was told by Lufthansa Baggage Service in Frankfurt no such message to forward my tube to Cape Town was ever received by Swissport Johannesburg. The agent went on to say that passengers are often not told the truth by Swissport agents.

The Lufthansa agent in Frankfurt explained that his job was not to help me, since this was only handled in Johannesburg. I argued my tube is in Frankfurt and not Johannesburg, and the handling agent for Swissport in Johannesburg was closed.

The agent then said he was now doing a one-time exception for me and would reroute my tube on LH576 directly to Cape Town. He said there were 5 hours to get this done, still plenty of time according to him.

The next day I received another message telling me again the tube was on its way to Johannesburg instead of Cape Town.

I called Swissport in Johannesburg, and the news not could have been worse. They told me, apologizing, that my tube was still in Frankfurt for a second day, and they did not know why.

I again called the baggage-handling office in Frankfurt and was again told it’s all Swissport’s mistake for not telling them where to send it.

This time I was angry and called Swissport Johannesburg again. I asked Patricia why she was lying about this. I told her she never sent this request to Frankfurt, according to Lufthansa.

Ten minutes later, I received an email with a time-stamped screenshot from Patricia Dzai showing me exactly what was requested by her in the first place.

Patricia actually had gone out of her way originally to make sure I would be united with my tube on time and in Cape Town. I felt bad thinking she didn’t care and didn’t do anything, when in fact she did.

It shows that big companies like Lufthansa have a serious customer service issue. They hide behind a huge system and are trained to say it’s not their job and simply blame others for company shortcomings.

There was no way I could talk to anyone at Lufthansa about this, and my urgent email to them on the day I was trying to get the tube re-routed was just responded to 2 weeks after I was already back home in Hawaii. Lufthansa offered a 200 euro compensation.

No explanation was given and no apology for accusing Patricia Dzai and Swissport for not doing their job.

I finally received my tube on the last day after the trade show and took it back to the US unopened. When I changed planes in Frankfurt, I asked the agent working in the Senator Lounge to speak to a supervisor in baggage handling about this case and compensation. She told me I have to send an email, which I had already done days ago.

She gave me some chocolate and said they get customers’ complaints all the time and do their best to help and respond, but the back-up system by the airline is not there.

It’s all about a giant non-caring anonymous machine.

I extend my apologies to Patricia Dzai from Swissport, as I now understand she was also a victim of shortcomings created by Lufthansa German Airlines.

Patricia Dzai is the eTN Hero for today.

Travel News | eTurboNews

IMEX exhibitors invited to make Sustainable Exhibiting Pledge

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IMEX in Frankfurt has invited exhibitors at this year’s show (21 -23 May) to make a Sustainable Exhibiting Pledge as it continues to increase its commitment to demonstrating and leading through best practice in sustainability.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, said: “Our approach to sustainability is to lead by example, to encourage others to aim higher and to shine a spotlight on key industry campaigns. This year I’m inviting exhibitors to make a sustainable exhibiting pledge, to implement three simple green initiatives to help reduce their environmental impact at the show. A list of ideas on how to do this features in our IMEX in Frankfurt 2019 Sustainable Exhibiting Guide.”

In January the IMEX Group highlighted its commitment by making sustainability the third ‘pillar’ of this year’s IMEX Talking Point “Imagination.”

Carina Bauer explained: “We’re asking everyone in the global meetings industry to imagine a new beginning: to ask what if we all really committed to cutting down waste?

“We’ve continued to improve our own sustainability performance at both of our shows each year and we’re proud to say that our Frankfurt show is now 100 per cent hydro-powered. Thanks to our waste donation program plus the responsible recycling systems at Messe Frankfurt, we now send zero waste to landfill. This is virtually unheard of in the exhibition business!

“Our work to reduce and recycle more waste generated by both exhibitors and visitors is explained in our first ever IMEX in Frankfurt sustainability report which joins our annual IMEX America sustainability report.”

In line with its determination to lead the industry forward, IMEX was a launch partner when the Events Industry Council introduced its Principles of Sustainable Events in January after hosting two forums at IMEX in Frankfurt and IMEX America in 2018 when these principles were formulated.

A further element of its commitment to leading the industry, the IMEX team believes in sharing what it knows and has learned through experience. At IMEX in Frankfurt, learning about sustainability will feature prominently throughout the show. Starting on EduMonday, 20 May, there will be more than 20 opportunities to learn about sustainability among the 250 plus sessions in the extensive education program at the Inspiration Hub. What’s more, the first ever Sustainability Policy Round table, supported by Edmonton, will bring together industry leaders and experts to share insights at the InterContinental Frankfurt on 21 May.

Furthermore, in partnership with the Events Industry Council (EIC), IMEX will salute an organization making a significant commitment to reducing its environmental impact by announcing the winner of the IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award at the IMEX Gala Dinner on 22 May.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, says: “At both shows we continue to work closely with our partners including Meet Green, EIC, The Venetian®| The Palazzo® and the Sands Expo®, Messe Frankfurt and GES. We are wholeheartedly committed to providing education, inspiration and leadership on sustainability issues. The business events industry still has a long way to go before thinking green is the first thought, not the last.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

eTN Hero: Cordelia Igel, team leader at Vox Restaurant, Grand Hyatt Hotel Berlin

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Many of us traveling around the globe on business have travel stories to tell. I spend more than 100 fully-paid nights every year in Hyatt Hotels around the world. Doing this, you get to know a brand more closely.

I am collecting my own list of heroes and honoring each of them eTN Heroes. You cannot buy eTN Heroes, and this title is a publisher’s recommendation based on personal experience.

I realize there are so many heroes in the hospitality industry and even more in the rest of the travel and tourism industry, so my personal experience is only a very small token of well-deserved recognition.

Today, I would like to introduce Cordelia Igel, a senior team leader at Vox Restaurant at the Grand Hyatt, Berlin, Germany as the latest eTN Hero.

Travelers like me experience hotels as a second home. When something doesn’t make sense, I am always outspoken and hope my criticism is heard. I want the businesses that cater to my travel to do well.

Loving my espresso every day is a passion many fellow travelers share. For me, it doesn’t make sense when international hotels cannot see that good espresso is a major selling point. For me, it’s a major buying point when selecting a hotel.

For example, I stopped staying at the Marriott Newark Airport where the Starbucks in this hotel is only open from 6 am to 10 am.

It boggles my mind because people come in 24 hours a day because after all, it’s an airport hotel.

With travelers arriving or leaving this hotel don’t always go by Eastern Standard time.

A good cup of coffee becomes as important as a good bed or a hot shower.

The same goes for food. I select hotels where I can get my breakfast, lunch, or dinner 24/7 because my body time clock is not always synchronized with the time in the destination.

Mistakes happen, especially when you’re jetlagged. One of the worst was when I picked up a suitcase that belonged to another passenger in Tokyo after arriving from Abu Dhabi and showed up at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo with the wrong luggage. Takashi Kai, Assistant Manager at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, was my first eTN Hero that day and managed this impossible and frustrating situation for me.

Here why I am so thankful to Cordelia Igel, the senior team leader at Vox Restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Berlin, my latest eTN Hero.

In March during ITB  I stayed at the hotel for 8 nights.

The hotel has a fantastic breakfast and a great pool/gym area along with a very central and exciting location close to Potsdamer Platz.

Rooms are a little small and average in Berlin, but acceptable. I may have been spoiled. I stayed at the Hyatt Haus Duesseldorf before arriving in Berlin during the same trip and also one night at the Park Hyatt Hamburg and loved my apartment and hotel suite. My apartment at Duesseldorf Hyatt Haus was over the top – washer, dryer, living room, bedroom, and an outside patio with a million dollar view, and enough space to entertain 100 people.

Here is why Cordelia at the Grand Hyatt Berlin is my hero. Attending a very busy trade show is always a challenge when managing a busy scheduled and sleep. My morning espresso is of utmost importance. In the past, when staying at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin, I went to Starbucks across the street from the hotel, but this year, Starbucks was no longer there.

What were my options? As a Globalist member in the Hyatt loyalty program, my breakfast is always included. Hyatt Germany is not one of the hotels forcing Globalists to take their breakfast only in the Club lounge.

The continental breakfast at the Hyatt Grand Clun is usually not comparable with the wide variety of food found at VOX restaurant.

So everything was perfect in the morning, right? Wrong!

When trying the Club lounge espresso, I should have known it wasn’t up to my standards as it was served from a push-button machine. However, not all Grand Clubs are the same. At the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Korea the Espresso machine is the best I found in the Hyatt system so far.

At the Grand Hyatt Berlin, when dining in the hotel’s 5-star restaurant VOX, a 3-star espresso is served from a push-button machine.

When I asked the lead server, Cordelia, why they are serving such a superb breakfast and offer only a push button machine-made espresso she offered a solution.

The only good espresso machine in the hotel not using push-buttons was at the hotel bar. Cordelia went to the hotel bar and personally hand-crafted a cup of real espresso for me. She also managed to bring it back within one minute after pouring. Magical!

Every morning after that, Ms. Igel knew what to do. And for that extra touch of service and not hesitating a second to go above and beyond, Vielen Dank Frau Igel, you are my eTN Hero today.

 

 

 

 

Travel News | eTurboNews

28 killed in Portugal bus crash, many German tourists

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A bus reported to be carrying tourists, including many from Germany, crashed on the island of Madeira in Portugal, killing at least 28.

Filipe Sousa, the mayor of Santa Cruz, said that 17 women and 11 men were killed in Wednesday’s accident.

Several others were wounded after the vehicle overturned near the town of Canico.

The cause of the crash, which happened in daylight in the early evening, was not immediately clear.

Images on Portuguese media showed an overturned white bus surrounded by firefighters. SIC television said there were 19 ambulances at the scene.

“I have no words to describe what happened. I cannot face the suffering of these people,” Sousa told SIC television.

Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he would travel to Madeira overnight.

Travel News | eTurboNews

IGLTA honors ITB Berlin for its commitment to LGBT+ travel segment

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The reward for promoting awareness and acceptance of the LGBT+ Community in the global tourism industry: at the Annual Global Convention, which will take place from 24 to 27 April at the Hilton Midtown New York City, the International LGBT+ Travel Association (IGLTA) will present ITB Berlin with the Vanguard Award.

Every year, together with the IGLTA Foundation (www.iglta.org/The-IGLTA-Foundation), the public charity subsidiary of the IGLTA, the directors’ board presents the IGLTA Honors. The recipients are individuals, companies or organizations who have improved relations within the tourism community and raised awareness of LGBT+ travel around the world. The LGBT Travel Pavilion of ITB Berlin celebrated its debut back in 2010, and since then has become a highly-regarded role model for the presentation of the gay and lesbian travel segment at an international travel show. In addition to the extensive display area with its own conference venue, supporting events such as the LGBT+ Media Brunch, networking events, informative lectures, the LGBT+ ITB Convention Seminar – which since 2 years also includes the bestowal of an ITB Pioneer Award -, and, as of this year the International LGBT+ Leadership Summit, attract many visitors.

ITB’s commitment has made it possible to also position this segment at ITB Asia in Singapore and organize international ITB Academies on this topic as recently in Malta and Japan.

”ITB Berlin is proud to occupy a pioneering role in this important subject, and to be the recipient of such a prestigious award for its continuing efforts to promote international recognition of LGBT+ travel“, said Rika Jean-François, CSR officer of ITB Berlin and responsible for this segment. ”What began as a few community pioneers exhibiting here and there around ITB Berlin has over the years become a recognized platform. Together with our partner Diversity Tourism we have created a globally unique forum.“

”We have got to the point now where at ITB Berlin we have created one of the liveliest and most diverse LGBT+ Travel Pavilions possible, with exhibitors and people taking part in discussion rounds from around the world“, is how Thomas Bömkes, LGBT+ consultant for ITB Berlin and Managing Director of Diversity Tourism GmbH described this market’s rising prospects. Rika Jean-François added: ”This award will give us the strength to continue defending LGBT+ travelers against discrimination in every country in the world and to ensure that they, just like any other travelers, can visit places where also local people are respected regardless of their sexual orientation.” Thomas Bömkes pointed out, that the economic potential of this travel market cannot be underestimated: “Studies have shown that accepting diversity can contribute significantly to a destination’s economic success.“

LGBT tourism has been represented at ITB Berlin since the Nineties. As a result of ITB Berlin’s CSR policy which promotes diversity and defends human rights in tourism and due to the keen interest expressed by exhibitors and visitors, Gay & Lesbian Travel was officially declared a segment in its own right at ITB Berlin 2010. Openness, creativity and lively interaction are the dominant features of this segment that has become one of the most wide-ranging at ITB Berlin. The LGBT Travel Pavilion currently boasts the world’s largest display of products for the gay and lesbian travel market of any trade show in the world.

Travel News | eTurboNews

How is Germany doing on its goal of 2 million Indian tourists?

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At an annual media meeting today, April 16, in Delhi, India, Romit Theophilus, Director of Marketing & Sales Office India for the German National Tourist Office (GNTO), said it was hoping for growth of 6 to 8 percent.

The ultimate goal of the GNTO is to increase its tally of Indian tourists to 2 million a year by 2030, up from the present figure of 921,123 visitors overnight in 2018, making for growth of 8.1 percent.

The famous Bauhaus art school, which opened in Weimar in 1919, is celebrating 100 years this year, and steps are being taken to promote this art, design, and architecture as part of this tourism drive. 2020 will see the 250th anniversary of birth of Beethoven.

The German National Tourist Office is promoting the concept of affordable hospitality, stressing that tourists can enjoy leisure and other activities at costs cheaper than other European nations. The focus on a summer cities campaign is on the urban city, romance, holidays on the water, sightseeing, as well as art and culture.

Jasper Wieck, Deputy Head of Mission for the German Embassy, added a new dimension, pointing out that the two countries, India and Germany, have emotional links and mutual affection dating back centuries. He recalled that Tagore had also played a part in Indo-German links and that the number of students from India in Germany had doubled in the last 5 years, standing at 17,500. In addition, yoga is being practiced by a significant number of Germans and studies on India are being offered in over 16 universities and institutes.

Travel News | eTurboNews