GERMANY has emerged as an exotic tourist destination for Saudis and for hundreds of thousands of Arab travelers, mainly because of the hospitality of the people and country. With more than 133 million foreigners including Saudis, who visited Germany in 2008, Germany today ranks as the seventh most visited travel destination worldwide. The capital city of Berlin is ranked as the eighth most visited city across the world.
If one includes camping sites and accommodation, a total of 369.6 million overnights were spent in Germany last year including 56.5 million nights by foreign visitors. In the past, Germany was not a well-known tourist destination for Saudis as compared to the United States, Malaysia, Switzerland, England, and France, but it is now being heavily marketed.
“The Germans feel that Saudi Arabia is a very important market for tourism,” said a report on German tourism released by the German Embassy. The summer months are the best time for Saudis to visit, it said, while referring to the German respect for cultural privacy of other people, especially Arabs. “We have not heard any complaint from Saudis coming back from Germany,” said the report, adding, that Germany, of late, had been receiving more tourists from the Kingdom.
This can be substantiated from the fact that Gulf tourists spent about 830,000 nights across Germany in 2008, an increase of eight percent on the previous year. The average stay of a Saudi tourist is 19 nights, said the report. “We are not necessarily in competition with other European countries for the Saudi market. We just feel that we have something to offer and are inviting our Saudi friends to come and take a look,” the report said, adding, that Saudis had come back from Germany with “great memories about culture, nature, and shopping. Actually, it is cheaper than London and Paris.”
Not only is shopping relatively cheaper in Germany, but “there are lots of packages on flights and hotels in Germany now. Prices on Lufthansa and Swiss have been reduced, while a number of tour operators have come up with cost-effective packages. This is the reason that Germany continues to attract tourists from across the world every year in huge numbers. Also, thanks to the breathtaking landscapes, scenic beauty of the natural surroundings and best accommodation offerings, the numbers are increasing.”
The hospitality of the German people adds to the tourism importance of Germany. There are some German tourist attractions that are a must see for the tourists. The attractions of Germany appeal to the budget travelers. The top 10 Germany tourist attractions include within its domain some internationally acclaimed names like Black Forest, which is located in the southwestern Germany and is famous for originating the cuckoo clocks. Camping, hiking and skiing are the favorite activities that the tourists can indulge in Black Forest.
Then there is Frisian Island, which is popular island surrounding the countries such as Germany, Denmark and Netherlands. Sylt and Amrum are two major islands of the Frisian Islands that are hot tourist spots with serene beaches, panoramic views and a quite retreat from the bustle of the city life. Munich, on the other hand, is another favorite. It is located on the River Isar, which is on the northern side of Bavarian Alps. This is in addition to the city of Berlin, whose history proves a big draw with the tourists from across the world.
On architectural front, Germany is very rich. Neuschwanstein Castle, located near the border of Austria, is well known as a place that boasts a number of architectural marvels. The popular castle inspired by the concept of the “Sleeping Beauty Castle” is the most popular of all castles of Germany. If the castle is a major attraction for tourists, then the Romantic Road is another must-see site. In fact, the Romantic Road is one of the most picturesque tourist attractions of Germany that goes winding from the River Main in the north toward the southern part of Alps crossing scenic villages and towns.
Cologne is another popular tourist spot upon the River Rhine. The picturesque city is gifted with awe-inspiring natural beauty. In fact, in Germany travel is all about exploring the pictorial scenic beauty of the country, as also marveling at the mystic castles, small villages surrounded by snow-peaked mountains, lakes and surrounding greeneries. It’s likely that one spends much of his/her time at chief destinations and forget the less visited ones.
That is why, German tourist office suggests to prepare a checklist so that one won’t leave out the following — Legendary Oktoberfest (from late Sept. to early Oct.), Black Forest, remarkable touring at dazzling River Rhine, look and style of German cities that differ from one another.
