Travel-Trade Networking in Bavaria
By Tom Bross
No big European city outdoes Munich when it comes to putting on a rousing, cast-of-thousands party. Meaning, of course, annual 16-day beer-quaffing Oktoberfest (coming soon: Sept. 20-Oct. 5). Then there’s the Bavarian capital’s current 850th anniversary, commemorating initial Isar riverside settlement—established by royal Babenberg decree as a haven for monks (Mönchen) in 1158.
Keeping those celebrations in mind, Munich’s co-hosting (with nearby Augsburg) of the 34th German Travel Mart was nicely timed. The dates: last April 27-28. Choosing two south-Bavarian locales made this major industry get-together doubly appealing.
Linked by the A-8 Autobahn motorway, Munich-Augsburg driving distance totals merely 35 miles. Workshops and supplier-buyer networking took place in north-side Munich’s Olympiahalle, part of the sports layout developed for 1972’s Summer Games. From there, the scene shifted west to Augsburg for sightseeing and an evening gala, held in the painted-ceilinged Goldener Saal (Golden Hall) of the municipal government’s 17th-century Renaissance Rathaus. Both cities are repeat performers, having hosted previous GTM get-togethers— Munich: 1973 and 1993—Augsburg: 1979. The ’08 edition tallied impressive attendance figures. Overall, 366 German exhibitors showcased their products and services to 672 travel-industry representatives (plus 100 journalists) from 42 countries. This year’s contingent of buyers and reporters included 51 Americans.
Much to See & Do in Bavaria’s Zesty Capital
Munich ranks consistently high as an all-seasons destination. Not surprisingly, considering its fine-arts and special-interest museums, Baroque Nymphenburg palace, three major symphony orchestras and acclaimed Bavarian State Opera productions. The Marienplatz’s tall-towered, neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus (new Town Hall) draws extra-big crowds when the Glockenspiel does its mechanical-musical turnaround three times daily in summertime. Double-domed Frauenkirche Cathedral, prominent on inner-city panoramics, dates from 1525. By turning a few corners, citygoers find their way to beerdom’s famous Hofbräuhaus
Four of Munich’s three dozen casual, leafy beer gardens are nestled in sprawling Englischer Garten acreage. Other attractions cover a broad spectrum. For instance, near an Isar riverbank:1985’s strikingly modern Gasteig cultural complex (including a concert hall). Completed two decades later, at St.-Jacobs-Platz: a combined Jewish synagogue and community center. Now three years old, 66,000-seat Allianz Arena—wrapped inside thousands of diamond-shaped, illuminated-at-night air bubbles—grabs attention as Europe’s most futuristic soccer (Fussball) stadium.
Innovative architects transformed a block of historical buildings into Fünf Höfe (Five Courtyards), an interconnected ensemble of shops, restaurants and cafés, people-packed since opening in 2003. Another newcomer, close to GTM ‘08 meeting venues, blends automotive technology with razzle-dazzle design. Namely BMW Welt (BMW World), contoured like a swooping double sphere (right). Featured attraction: a collection of mint-condition, Munich-manufactured sedans and coupes (motorcycles, too) spanning nine decades, displayed in spotlit galleries. They’re augmented by shops, two stylish restaurants, bistro, coffee bar and kids’ play area.
So no wonder local tourism officials record impressive incoming numbers. Last year, they registered 2.1 million arrivals from foreign markets, amplified by 4.5 million overnight stays (a hefty 8.1% boost over 2006). U.S. visitors topped 2007’s incoming international list with their 688,214 overnights (a 4.9% increase). Add an annual surge of 93 million day-trippers for solid proof of the city’s popularity. That makes Munich Germany’s second-most visited metropolitan destination after Berlin.
A Venerable City on the Romantic Road
Augsburg’s origins as a Roman provincial capital date from 15 B.C. Now centered on the Romantic Road, tours beginning at its massive town hall lead to Domkirche St. Maria, featuring frescoed walls and five 12th-century Romanesque stained-glass windows. The Roman Museum’s stone and bronze antiquities are on view in a former Dominican church. Then up Maxmilianstrasse to the Fuggerei quarter, built for needy citizens in 1519, therefore the world’s first social-welfare housing project. Nearby, Old Masters paintings hang in the mirrored, gilded Rococo Hall of the Schaezlerpalais. Open to the public, the birthplace (1898) of Threepenny Opera playwright Bertolt Brecht stands on a side street.
According to up-to-date statistics quantifying travel throughout the Federal Republic—West and East, cities and beyond—only the Netherlands outdoes the U.S. as the leading international source market. Forecasting 35 million overnight stays in 2008, the Frankfurt-based German National Tourist Board aims for 66 million (including six million U.S. sleepovers) by 2015.
Berliners anticipate next year’s 20th anniversary of the infamous Wall’s downfall. For comparable remembrance, tell your clients about “the Green Experience.” Linking pertinent memorials, 14 walking-cycling-kayaking routes retrace the Cold War border’s 858-mile length through reunited Germany’s midsection.
Post-GTM sidetripping previewed next year’s 90th anniversary of the influential Bauhaus designers’ collaborative—creators of form-and-function architecture, furniture, appliances, graphics—pioneered in Weimar (1919), afterward Dessau (1925). Before that, such classical luminaries as Bach, Goethe, Schiller and Franz Liszt made Weimar Germany’s most eminent cultural domain. Then came resurgent Leipzig in the heart of Saxony, followed by an individual JAX FAX stopover in Magdeburg.
Contact the German National Tourist Office in New York City at 800-637-1171; Chicago, 773-539-6303; Los Angeles, 310-545-1350. Visit: www.germany-extranet.com (for the travel trade). Note: 2009’s GTM host city is Rostock, proud of its Baltic-coastal Hanseatic heritage.
April 2008 Feature
Beat the Euro in Germany...
Act Like a Native
What is true around the world is definitely true for Germany. The best way to discover a country is to see it through the eyes of a local - and it also saves a lot of money. If your clients follow this advice, Germany remains an affordable travel destination despite the weak Dollar-Euro exchange rate. Below is a specially prepared “cheat sheet,” if you will for agents to refer to before sending clients to Germany this summer.
Sleep Like a King on the Cheap
German hotels offer reasonable rates and special deals that can beat most comparable accommodations in the US. Berlin's hotels are even cheaper than in some of the Eastern European capitals, according to a recent study by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, and definitely no comparison to cities like London, Paris or Rome (Berlin 140 Euro average price per night, Rome 192, Paris 298, London 314).
Contact the local tourist office for a complete local list of accommodations for every budget. Family-run pensions often have great rates and combine them with personal service and hospitality. Business hotels, especially in the major cities, offer special deals on the weekends. Before you decide to visit a city, check if there is an event going on. Going to Cologne during Carnival season is an unforgettable experience, but hotels are booked fast, so move quickly.
A special tip for affordable accommodations in Germany: hostels. They offer a friendly, informal atmosphere and cost less than hotels. Travelers can sleep in single, double rooms or in larger sleeping-dorms. They are not only a cheap way to spend the night, but an even better opportunity to make friends and meet other travelers. A bed for a night normally costs less then 20 Euros or about $30 person. Hostels are not only open for backpackers and young travelers. Some of them even have apartments with kitchens for families.
Who doesn’t want to sleep like a king without spending a fortune? Many castle hotels throughout Germany offer wonderful opportunities to experience a bit of their noble pasts without breaking the piggy bank. Manorhomes in the northern state of Mecklenburg Vorpommern, castles along the Fairytale and the Castle Roads as well as those belonging to the member organization, (www.culture-castles.de), are a superb way to sleep like royalty without breaking your budget. Many of these hotels offer rates from 75 to 120 Euros or about $115 to about $185 per night for one or two people. See JF’s March cover story for more details on castle stays.
Dining Around
Even without a big bank account, you can also eat like a king. If you keep your eyes open you will find great food for even better prices in Germany. In addition to "restaurants," try Imbisse and Gaststaetten (snack bars and taverns). Always ask the waiter or owner for their recommendations. They know what is fresh and are familiar with the region’s specialties. If you look at the prices, keep in mind: Taxes are already included and tips are at a suggested rate of 10 percent. A relaxing way to finish the weekend is Sunday brunch. Prices start under 10 Euros or about $15. Most restaurants also offer lunch deals.
Open-air markets are a delectable way to experience Germany as a local and to indulge your senses. Most cities host weekly farmers’ markets with food stalls that offer delicacies for unbeatable prices. Berlin and Hamburg are known for their excellent "Currywurst" (Curry-Sausage) for prices as low as two Euros.
Get “Carded” in the Cities
German cities have so much to offer at low prices especially with city cards. Not only do these tickets give admission to museums, concerts, zoos and historic sights but also offer transportation. Stuttgart for example, offers the "Stuttcard", which is a three-day ticket providing free entry to all public museums, as well as discounts for cultural events and leisure activities. It’s a bargain at 9 euros per day. If you are under 26, you’ll be eligible for the "young and fun" deal. This includes one overnight-hotel stay with breakfast, a non-alcoholic drink in the hotel, a "Stuttcard," a city guide and a city magazine. Visit www.stuttgart-tourist.de
The "Hamburg card" gives discounts at more than 120 places of interest such as sightseeing tours, harbor and cruises on the picturesque river Alster as well as in restaurants and on souvenirs. It also gives free access to public transportation. The card costs between 9 and 33 Euros or about $14 and $50. Visit www.hamburg-tourism.de
Even without a city card, most cities have reduced fares for students, children and seniors. Movie theaters offer significantly cheaper prices for afternoon shows on Tuesdays. In Germany, fine arts are exceptionally affordable compared with the U.S. Operas and classical concerts in the main venues are subsidized by the state in Germany, so travelers can purchase tickets for about 20 Euros or about $30, students even can find seats for less than 10 Euro or $15. Advise clients to ask the local tourist office for more information as they may have special offers such as discount coupons.
Get Out of Town
If you want to get away from the cities, Germany offers a wide range of out- and indoor activities. The country’s vast and varied natural landscapes are protected to varying degrees by 90 nature parks and 13 national parks. All national parks are free. In western Germany, the Upper Middle Rhine valley is safeguarded as a UNESCO World Heritage area to prevent further damage. A spectacular nature experience for visitors is to take hikes along the famous Rheinsteig-trail through the picturesque wine growing area.
Below Dresden, the "Saechsische Schweiz" (Saxonian Switzerland) with its sandstone formations is a miracle of nature. In the North, near Hamburg, tourists can walk through the mudflats at ebbtide: or in the south, discover the German Alps with its highest elevation, the "Zugspitze.”
Nearly every town has a special festival with food, drinks, art, music and dance. World famous is of course the Oktoberfest in Munich. During May, southern regions celebrate the planting of the Maibaum (May-Tree) a long colorful pole in the city center with a festival, while towns along the Rhine celebrate the grape harvest from August to October. Many cities have music, art and cultural festivals with free performances and exhibitions like the "Carnival of Cultures" in Berlin (May 9-12), the Jazz Festival in Duesseldorf (May 9-11), the Samba Festival in Coburg (July 11-13) or the "Museum Embankment Festival" in Frankfurt (August 29-31).
German public rail, flights and coaches offer great value and convenience. Avoiding the peak travel times of the locals, such as Fridays or the morning and evening hours, and booking in advance, will save clients more money. Public transportation by bus and subway is the best way to discover the cities. Also public transportation in the main cities often runs 24 hours.
For more information, contact the German National Tourist Office 800-631-1171 (New York City), 310-545-1350 (Los Angeles) or 773-539-6303 (Chicago); www.cometogermany.com or www-germany-extranet.com
Germany Cover Feature published in March 2008 Issue
Germany’s Posh Palaces and Secret Gardens
By Tom Bross
Agents can count on their colleagues at the German National Tourist Office (GNTO) to come up with at least one attention-getting marketing scheme to perk up annual travel planning. So, for all of 2008, you’re well-advised to keep this diverse trio in mind: Palaces, Parks and Gardens. Adding centuries-old castles and palaces – some of which clients can stay in — makes it a compelling foursome.
Numbering nearly 5,000 castles, (a figure some say is closer to 10,000; Saxony alone has more than 2,000 castles for sale right now) plus Renaissance- and Baroque-era palaces dot Germany’s 16 federal states, on ridges and countryside landscapes as well as busy urban midsections. Up toward Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Baltic seacoast, Duke Friedrich Franz’s 15-turreted Schloss Schwerin stands commandingly on its own garden-bordered island in the middle of a lake.
Historians credit a 16th-century Thurn and Taxis count with establishing Europe’s postal service, symbolized ever since by a curved posthorn. His descendents still preside over their hereditary Schloss St. Emmeran in Regensburg on the Danube. Castle-touring sightseers are liable to bump into Princess Gloria, a familiar personality in Continental high-society social circles. Clients traveling through north-Bavarian Franconia shouldn’t bypass Coburg, ancestral seat of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dukedom, which produced British Queen Victoria’s husband Albert. (While staying at Schloss Ehrensburg, Her Majesty no doubt dared to use Germany’s first-ever flush toilet.)
Gardens, Wines and UNESCO Accolades
Parks and flowery formal gardens are abundant, too, on municipal acreage and in outlying natural areas. Clients inquiring about German destinations could opt for a palace-and-parks itinerary or, instead, tour the Castle Road (www.burgenstrasse.de). Covering 285 miles and more than 70 imposing landmarks, it zigzags from Prague to Mannheim via the Franconian wine country, the Neckar Valley and the Rhineland. That puts the castle ramparts of Nuremberg and Heidelberg—plus picturesque Bad Wimpfen, its skyline dominated by a fortified 13th-century imperial palace—on the route.
Traveling inspired by this year’s promotional theme can be coordinated with Germany’s lengthy roster of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The list includes Würzburg’s stupendously Baroque Residenz, a decorative showstopper conceived with wild abandon by Bathasar Neumann as the domain of the period’s prince-bishops. Indoors: the world’s largest ceiling fresco, painted by Venice’s Giovanni Tiepolo to symbolize the four continents, overhangs the palace’s cantilevered grand staircase. Outdoors: the rococo Hofgarten, floodlit during midsummer Mozart concerts.
Similar 18th-century eminence pertains to archbishop-elector Clemens August’s namesake Schloss Augustusburg and its French-style garden. Barely a mile away, that easy-living cleric kept his Jagdschloss Falkenlust as a base for falconry hunting, accessible by journeying to Brühl on the southern outskirts of Cologne. Elsewhere, UNESCO credentials distinguish Eisenach’s Wartburg castle (locale of medieval Christmas markets), perched atop a 600-foot Thuringian promontory, and the classical Dessau-Wörlitz garden kingdom in easterly Saxony-Anhalt. West beyond Berlin, Potsdam qualifies, thanks mainly to Frederick the Great’s Schloss Sanssouci and its terraced garden.
Posh Places to Dream In
Dozens of nationwide palaces, castles and manor-house estates are open for close-up visits. And a welcoming few even provide overnight accommodations on the aristocratic premises. Gast im Schloss (www.gast-im-schloss.com), a Munich-headquartered Ringhotel affiliate, is your resource for bookings in nine such properties. Among those are lakeview Schloss Waldeck, near a golf course south of Kassel, and Saxony-Anhalt’s Schloss Tangermünde, a Prussian royal residence dating from the 14th century, in a garden setting providing Elbe River panoramics and a courtyard dining area. We also like the stately ambience of Schloss Kommende Ramershof as well as its sophisticated French-Mediterranean restaurant, situated in a genteel villa district on the south side of Bonn.
A niche pricier than that supplier’s rate structure, two palatial Rhineland hotels in Bergisch-Gladbach (on lofty frontage above the river, overlooking Cologne) exude five-star luxury. They feature topnotch spa amenities and epicurean cuisine at its absolute best. Grandhotel Schloss Bensburg has 120 guest rooms and Michelin-star Restaurant Vendôme. Schlosshotel Lerbach comprises 52 guest rooms and a dining salon overseen by chef Dieter Müller.
Pre-war Prussia’s landed gentry endowed old-time Mecklenburg with many richly adorned manor houses and vacation estates. Now a dozen function hospitably as upscale country hotels (www.culture-castles.de). Circa-1750 Bömitz Manor and its intimate restaurant exemplifies the selection. The family-owned property nestles on forested grounds close to Hanseatic Anklam and a short distance inland from Usedom, Germany’s second biggest island after nearby Rügen, both fringed with white-sand beaches. Another highly recommended overnight choice is Horst Sanders’ double-towered Park-Hotel Schloss Schlemmin, displaying artworks and rare antiques. The white neo-Gothic edifice contains 35 guest suites.
City Park Appeal
Urban layouts throughout the Federal Republic are admired worldwide for their generous percentages of public greenery. Notable is vast Munich’s Englischer Garten that encompasses lakes, pavilions, riding trails and a sizeable beer garden in its four-mile-long expanse of terrain. Spreading far beyond an 18th-century Württemberg palace, inner-city Stuttgart’s Schlossgarten rambles two and a half miles northward to Bad Canstatt’s Neckar riverbanks. Twenty-five miles north from there, Ludwigsburg’s Schlosspark (and 432-room Residenzschloss) deserves its “German Versailles” nickname.
A similar palace-and-garden combination—an 18th-century Baroque ensemble on a fan-shaped city side site—makes Karlsruhe a worthwhile sidetrip stopover from Stuttgart. Hannover’s Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen ensure that city’s significance on Lower Saxon travel itineraries. The formal, four-part layout becomes a gathering place for summertime concerts and each year’s sound-and-light spectacle: the International Fireworks Competition (May 10, June 14, Aug. 30, Sept. 13 and 27).
Two miles long between its eastern and western perimeters, capital-city Berlin’s Tiergarten parkland includes an internationally famous zoo. Same for Dresden’s Grosser Garten, with a zoo in addition to botanical gardens. If your clients have Hamburg in their plans, tell them about Planten und Blomen (easily translated!), where rose bushes and Europe’s biggest Japanese garden reach their bloomingest best by late springtime. This open space is walkably close to downtown’s ritzy shopping arcades and the Binnen-Alster lakefront.
Central Essen’s Stadtgarten comes complete with a duck pond and picnic nooks, plus a pair of modernistic buildings: 1998’s Opera House, designed by Finland’s Alvar Aalto, and the Philharmonic’s Saalbau concert hall. South from there, pathways winding through 73-acre Gruga Park—developed in 1919 for a regional horticultural show—lead to the Ruhr Valley’s Industrial Heritage Trail. The looping, signposted 248-mile driving-hiking-biking route connects metro Essen’s greenbelts with such other resurgent, visitor-friendly Westphalian cities as Duisburg, Dortmund, Oberhausen and Bochum, (www.route-industriekultur.de).
Lighting Up the Evening Skies
Loaded with chronogical what-where-when information, GNTO’s yearly special-events calendar always proves its worth as an advance-planning aid. The 2008 edition details Rhine in Flames (May 3-Sept. 9), which treats onlookers to blue flares and bursting pyrotechnics illuminating towns, castles and gorges along the Middle Rhine. Book early for river cruises scheduled, for example, by Viking and Peter Deilmann to coincide with the extravaganza. Another fireworks dazzler bathes Heidelberg’s semi-ruined castle walls in multicolored splashes of light (June 7, July 12, Sept. 6). In addition, turn your thoughts to Potsdam Palaces by Night (August 16), when Sanssoucci and its park are illuminated to dramatize an evening of music, dance, cabaret and fancy dining.
For something totally different, visit Danube-riverside Ingolstadt, influenced by Bavarian Wittelsbach royalty (and Audi automobile production). The city usually draws 120,000 visitors to its eight-hour Kaltenberg Knights’ Tournament, (Friday-Sunday weekends between July 5-27) in a 15th-century castle complex. On the agenda: jousting, banqueting and an extra-big medieval market.
Honoring Famous Music-Makers
Germany wouldn’t be Germany without its tributes to musicians who have attained high stature in the nation’s cultural history. Festivals devoted to major composers culminate in concerts and operas starring big-name conductors and performers. With 10 works programmed in 10 days, Dresdner Festtage (March 11-20) focuses on Richard Strauss. Nine of his operas (including Der Rosenkavalier, Elektra and Salome) had their world premieres here in Saxony’s capital city, where the splendidly gilded Semper Opera House looms over Theaterplatz.
During Bonn’s Beethoven Festival (Aug. 29-Sept. 28), audiences enjoy concerts in more than 20 venues, including Rhine River castles.
Johann Sebastian Bach gets proper attention during a series of musical celebrations in Weimar (March 14-July 14). Then comes Leipzig’s turn to commemorate Bach (who founded the local boys’ choir and is entombed beneath St. Thomas Church’s altar). This year’s event (June 13-22) includes Mozart-Beethoven-Schubert-Mendelssohn concerts, reminders that those classical greats were strongly influenced by their predecessor’s compositions. Leipzig’s Gewandhaus Orchestra was founded in 1781, hence its renown as Europe’s first professional symphonic ensemble. In Franconia, Bayreuth sets the elite standard for Richard Wagner operas.
The 2008 season’s 30 stagings begin with Parsifal (July 25). Oratorio connoisseurs know about Halle in Saxony-Anhalt, where an international festival (June 5-15) honors home-town hero Georg Friedrich Händel, creator of 1741’s Messiah.
Munich—co-hosting next month’s German Travel Mart with Augsburg—was founded by royal decree as an Isar riverside settlement for monks (Mönchen) in 1158. Which is why Bavaria’s state capital has plunged into year-long 850th-anniversary celebrations (www.muenchen850.de). Sporting a “building-bridges” birthday motto, festivities will be at maximum intensity during spring and summer (June 6-August 3).
Castle Deals
Schloss Reinhartshausen Kempinski
Explore the Rheingau area and the nearby attractions or just relax in the hotel’s wellness center with a two-night Easter package that includes breakfast buffet, a bottle of sparkling wine from the castle’s wine estate, a three-course-gourmet menu at the Restaurant “Prinzessin von Erbach” with sparkling wine and drinks on your arrival. Prices start at $435 per person double; valid March 15-30, 2008.
Clients can get a taste of how Princess Marianne of Prussia resided by staying for three nights in a Deluxe Room (suite upgrades available), breakfast buffet in the “Wintergarten,” three-course-menus on the first two nights, a five-course-gourmet-menu on the last night, a voucher valued at about $35 for the Chateau Vinothek, free access to the wellness area, free parking and a special kids’ fare on request. Prices start from $1,099 double; valid May 9-12, 2008. Call 800-745-888; E-mail: reservations.reinhartshausen@kempinski.com; www.schloss-hotel.de
Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg
Enjoy a “time out” from everyday stress - be pampered “Caribbean-style,” A treat for all of your senses. Reward yourself with two days of Wellness treatments and massage, accompanied by two days of light cuisine. This package includes one overnight stay in an elegant superior double room including breakfast, fresh fruit in the room on arrival, a Caribbean snack at noontime in the hotel’s Beauty & Spa, a full body massage with individually selected Caribbean oil, use of the pool and sauna area, as well as the fitness room and a three-course “Cucina Casalinga” dinner in the Trattoria Enoteca. Prices start at about $415 double; valid throughout 2008. Visit www.schlossbenberg.com
Schloss Eckberg Hotel und Restaurant
Enjoy and discover Dresden’s many famous sights such as the “Semper Opera House”, the “Zwinger” or the newly re-build “Frauenkirche” while getting pampered in the beautiful surroundings of this fairy-tale castle hotel, the Schloss Eckberg. Two-night packages include accommodations, a welcome drink as well as one 3-to 5-course menu.
Prices start from about $265 per person double valid throughout 2008. E-mail: info@schloss-eckberg.de; www.schloss-eckberg.de/english
Hotel Friedrich Franz Palais – Bad Doberan
Spend days like a real Prince or Princess in Bad Doberan, a famous German Spa town near the Baltic coast. The Hotel Friedrich Franz Palais offers six two-night packages that include a double room or Junior Suite, breakfast buffet and free use of the hotel sauna, fitness and relaxation rooms. Spend a Romantic weekend for two, indulge in culinary delights, explore the region’s cultural heritage or get active either with a cycling tour or golfing the Wittenbeck golf course. Prices start from $255 per person per night (one child up to 12 years is included in the price); valid throughout 2008. Visit www.hotel-friedrichfranzpalais.com
Schlosshotel Kronberg
Be Empress Victoria’s guests and spend a few days in this beautiful castle near Frankfurt where she lived until 1901. Choose between a Gourmet Weekend or enjoy playing golf at one of Germany’s nicest golf courses with the Golf Weekend package. Both packages offer accommodation in an exclusive room including breakfast and multiple-course-menus in the hotel’s exquisite restaurant; the Golf package includes a the Green fee for the 18-hole golf course. Prices for the Gourmet Weekend start from about $375 per person double per night; the Golf Weekend starts from about $470 per person double per night; valid throughout 2008.
Call 011-49-6173/701 01; E-mail info@schlosshotel-kronberg.de; visit www.schlosshotel-kroberg.de
Schlosshotel Lerbach
Overnight Cooking: Explore and enjoy the world of flavor and learn cooking tips from Germany’s famous three Michelin star chef Dieter Müller. Besides an exclusive cooking course with Dieter Müller and a product service with his assistant, clents spend one night in a castle room including breakfast, a wine-tasting as well as a five-course gala dinner in the gourmet restaurant “Dieter Müller.” Prices start at about $685 per person double. www.schlosshotel-lerbach.com
Contact the German National Tourist Office at 800-631-1171, New York; in Los Angeles, 310-545-1350; or, Chicago, 773-539-6303 www.cometogermany.com or visit www-germany-extranet.com—designed exclusively for the travel trade.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Interview with Michaela Klare
Regional Manager GNTO
Having headed the NY office for nearly five years, Michaela Klare Regional Manager The Americas for the German National Tourist Offices shared her perspective on changing travel patterns among Americans to Germany for JF readers. Klare will continue her work with the GNTO in Amsterdam at the end of this month. She was among the youngest directors to head the GNTO in New York and infused her efforts with vitality and enthusiasm.
GNTO: Well, I am happy to report that there was a constant increase in the number of Americans traveling to Germany since the end of 2002, when I took over the office, of altogether nearly 17%. The World Cup in 2006 put some of our less known cities in the spotlight and gave Germany a big boost and in 2007, the number of overnights increased by 4.6%.
This statistic unfortunately doesn't include the fastest growing segment for Germany, which is river cruising where we have seen a shift from specialized river cruise agents to more and more programs in many tour operator catalogues.
Berlin’s popularity is yet another factor for Germany's success, as so many people from the U.S. are interested in our capital and often tack on other trips to nearby cities, such as Dresden, Hamburg or Leipzig or combine it with a visit to our neighboring countries in the East. We also experienced a shift from the main season in summer to off-season travel in spring and fall, when we offer excellent values.
JF: Do you feel the themed marketing lines have been a solid platform from which to sell the country?
GNTO: One of the great advantages of Germany as a destination is that the country has so many faces and diverse aspects which can be sold as theme trips and to special interest groups. Just think of some of our most recent themes like, Musicland Germany, Art and Culture, Heritage Travel, Gay & Lesbian Travel or Religious Groups and even beer and wine tasting trips, all of which are enormously popular with Americans. Now we are excited about our new theme Castles: Parks and Gardens.
JF: Would you say the joining of East and West Germany has doubled the attractions in Germany?
GNTO: It's hard to measure, having had super attractive destinations in Bavaria, the Black Forest, Lake Constance or the Rhine Valley for example, but it opened new travel channels to the treasures of East Germany, the new infrastructure and the hospitality of the people is priceless.
Americans are witnessing the rebirth and transformation of Berlin and Potsdam; they can revel in Dresden's treasures or experience Bach and contemporary art in Leipzig, wonder at the Spree Forest and enjoy traditional Easter festivals of the Serbs, experience the classicism in Weimar or travel in Luther's footsteps in Wittenberg or Eisenach.
JF: Are the prices in cities such as Berlin, lower than in other European cities since it was a city that once straddled the fence between East and West?
GNTO: The prices are very reasonable all over Germany. Berlin's hotels are even cheaper than in some of the Eastern European capitals according to a recent study and definitely no comparism to cities like London, Paris or Rome (i.e. Berlin € 140, Rome € 192, Paris € 298, London € 314). One of the reasons is the balance between the business and leisure markets and the hotel inventory is still growing with extraordinary new builds.
JF: Do you feel the travel trade has indeed been a good investment for the GNTO?
GNTO: By all means, the travel trade community, including tour operators and travel agents, have been enormously supportive of Germany and we are grateful for that. It is in large part due to their support that Germany has been so successful with Americans.
JF: How would you characterize the client profile of visitors to Germany ?
GNTO: Germany's traditional market was, and is still largely the 50+ market. That said, thanks to the World Cup, the avant-garde and cutting edge art, architecture and culture movements, the popularity of such cities as Berlin and Hamburg, Germany appeals to the young and hip.
We see further growth of FIT travel among German-Americans searching for their roots and traveling with their children or grandchildren, thus insuring interest beyond the first and second generations.
JF: Do you have any projections to make on travel from the U.S. to Germany in the next five years?
GNTO: I think we have a challenging year ahead of us, but still believe that with the huge number of baby boomers now nearing retirement and the excellent offers on the German and European markets, the number of arrivals will continue to grow.
JF: If you were to leave your successor with one solid piece of advice, what might that be?
GNTO: Stay the course, especially when it comes to the trade, try to continue getting more and more German partners under your umbrella to consolidate the German budget investment in the U.S., but also to experiment with new ideas with an eye on toward developments in new media.
JJF: Is there any new air service to report on?
GNTO: Lufthansa’s new daily Seattle-Frankfurt services will be starting March 30, 2008; Orlando-Frankfurt has already started and these flights operate daily except on Saturday with more service from Chicago to Duesseldorf.
JF: How can travel agents learn more?
GNTO: They can become more familiar with our website: www.cometogermany .com that provides an enormous amount of information about getting there, information on special events, hotels and special deals. We just integrated a new section with offers from 13 U.S. partners with whom we are and were running a big Germany campaign over the last five years. We also have a special trade section www.germany-extranet.com. And we still print supplements in all the travel trade magazines that target Travel Agents, such as the this issue of Jax Fax and conduct two annual Destination Germany road shows. We participate in trade shows, seminars, and produce and publish brochures on all aspects of Germany.
JF: What is the impression you would like visitors to take home after they visit?
GNTO: We would love Americans to realize what Euroeans already know: that Germany is the world's second most popular travel destination after France; and I hope they think of Germany as a European country with a diversity like no other.