Affordability remains crux of promoting Germany tourism in India

New Delhi [India], March 2 (ANI): An analysis of statistics from the last two years shows a steady rise in the numbers of tourists, who have been visiting Germany from India. Owing to this, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany conducted their annual press conference along with the German National Tourist Office (GNTO) at the German Embassy here on Thursday. Prior to the event, Romit Theophilus, Director, GNTO (India), revealed that Germany has now reached the second position on the list of top leisure travel destination chosen by Indian travellers, with the Great Britain surpassing it. "After we launched our 2016 promotion theme-travel affordability, we have got over 7, 00, 000 visitor overnights. There has been an eight percent growth in number of tourists, from 2015 to 2016," Theophilus told ANI. Statistics have revealed that Germany has been a preferred travel destination for the Indian tourists, aged 15-65. There have been several factors, which have contributed to this. One of the most crucial factors, as mentioned by the officials, is the vibrancy offered by the country, be it food, culture, travel or shopping opportunities. Furthermore, it was claimed that the number of individuals choosing German universities to pursue their studies has doubled in the past year. Students have also been familiarised with the concept of exchange programs. GNTO, which resorts to theme-based marketing, elected the theme 'Palaces, Parks and Gardens' to represent the face of the tourism promotional event. Elaborating on the same, Theophilus revealed that Germany has almost 20,000 castles, which are yet to be discovered on a global level. Therefore, with this theme, GNTO is looking to promote barrier-free travel and sightseeing to Germany. "Germany is widely recognised as one of the top travel destinations. For good reasons: It offers incredible art treasures and magnificent architecture, breathtaking natural beauty and an unrivaled tourism infrastructure. Germany is also a welcoming, comfortable, safe, and affordable place to visit. And there is so much to see, do and enjoy," said Ambassador Dr Martin Ney at the joint press conference with the GNTO. In 2016, aiming to digitise its marketing campaign, GNTO India setup its Facebook page, which engages subscribers with contests, trivia and updates matters related to travel to Germany. The page has recorded more than 8,00,000 followers in a year's time. Owing to this, the GNTO has predicted a growth in number of visitor overnights from India to be between three and five percent, aiming to achieve the target of 2 million visitor overnights from India lone, by 2030. (ANI)