THE German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has kicked off a number of marketing and promotional measures designed to inspire enthusiasm across the Middle East for the FIFA World Cup 2006, which takes place from June 9 to July 9 in Germany this year.
Heike Murad, GCC manager States of The German National Tourist Board said, “From the Middle East region, Saudi Arabia has qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2006 and I’m sure this will have a deep impact on travellers from across the GCC. Sport, especially football, has built bridges between nations for a long time and I hope that Germany can show once more again that we really welcome everybody to experience this special country in the heart of Europe.”
Thirty-two national teams will battle for the FIFA World Cup in 12 cities in Germany. The event is expected to generate an extra 1.7 million stays across 2006 as a whole. “Starting from taxi drivers to the entire travel industry, GNTB will create a very high service commitment and there will be a lot of competitions to find the best one in his/her branch of trade. This promotion is aiming for a better image of Germany as a travel destination before, during and long lasting after the FIFA World Cup 2006,” said Murad.