Romit Theophilus, Director for India, The German National Tourist Office to focus on theme-based marketing in 2018.

DESTINATION GERMANY continues to be one of the most sought-after travel destinations for Indians travelling aboard. The country witnessed 8,52,224 visitor overnights in 2017 making for a 13.8 percent growth over 2016. Owing to this steady growth, The German National Tourist Office (GNTO), India forecasts a 5-8 percent growth in visitor overnights for the year 2018. “India has emerged as a strong source market for inbound tourism and we have witnessed a steady growth in visitor overnights from India over the years. This year Germany has witnessed 1,84,026 overnights from India until March, which is an 8.2 percent increase over the same period last year,” said Theophilus.

GNTO is focusing on theme-based marketing strategies and the theme for 2018 is Culinary Germany. “Our aim is to popularize Germany as a favoured Culinary Destination for Indian travellers and popularize the abundant availability of vegetarian cuisine in Germany, and break the myth that there are no vegetarian alternatives in German cuisine,” he added.

GNTO India aims to focus increasingly on the online media to market the destination – social media, online marketing and webinars for the trade. One of the prime goals of GNTO is to promote sustainable and barrier-free travel across the country. “We feel closely attached to this theme and actively promote responsible and inclusive tourism. Careful use of resources is now standard practice for many accommodation providers across all price categories and regions. Energy efficiency standards are high and environmental specifications strict, even in the construction phase,” he added.

The destination is also focused on promoting newer experiences to attract more events and conferences.