Following last year’s successful GCC promotional tour, which drew impressive attendance from travel professionals and journalists, this year a five-stop roadshow under the title ‘Dallal fi Almania’ – Feel Good in Germany – was again conducted at the end of March organised by the German National Tourist Office.
The promotional tour began in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and was followed by workshops in Jeddah, Kuwait, Dubai and the UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi.
The events saw the participation of 16 partners and suppliers from the German tourism industry who presented their services and products to the travel trade.
The current roadshow was the latest in a series of German initiatives to further get to know the needs of GCC visitors. Antje Roeding, director Gulf countries at the German National Tourism Office (GNTO) in Dubai, said: “GNTO has embarked on a strategy of engaging GCC travellers directly in the region through various activities. The current roadshow and the response we have seen in the GCC indicate that we are on the right path. GNTO plans to further intensify its efforts to consolidate Germany’s standing as a preferred travel destination for GCC nationals.”
During the road show, Germany’s regional representatives provided pertinent information about their respective areas, with the aim of engaging and attracting more tourists from the Gulf countries. The dialogue between the participants and their GCC audience resulted in great enthusiasm on both sides.
Over the past few years, there has been a rapid increase in the number of GCC tourists who have been spending their holidays in Germany. Statistics recently published by the German Federal Statistics Office indicate that the number of arrivals by GCC nationals in Germany during 2009 reached 258,883, the majority being tourists coming from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, indicating a 7.07 per cent increase compared to 2008. In response to this dynamic growth Germany is continuing its efforts to attract more GCC visitors, for example, many of Germany’s major cities now offer guidebooks in Arabic and rent out furnished apartments for families, as an alternative to hotel rooms.