Berlin, 8 July 2010 The Berlin travel industry continues its record run. According to information from the Berlin-Brandenburg Statistics Office, 841,000 visitors from inside and outside Germany travelled to the German capital in May – 9.3 percent more than in the same month the previous year. The number of room nights rose by 11.1 percent to around 9 million.

“May is the best month in the history of the Berlin travel industry”, says Burkhard Kieker, CEO of Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH (BTM). “For more than 15 months now, the figures in the Berlin travel industry have been steadily growing despite the economic crisis and the volcanic ash cloud. This testifies to the powerful magnetic force exerted by the German capital.”

The BTM CEO is quietly optimistic about the rest of the year too, “Above all the positive images of the Berlin Fan Mile that were broadcast around the world over the last few days will likewise help to further boost tourism in the German capital”.

558,800 visitors from Germany travelled to Berlin in May, i.e. a rise of 7.9 percent. The number of room nights climbed by 9.8 percent to 1,203,200. In the case of foreign tourists, the growth rates were even double digit. Around 282,000 visitors from abroad were welcomed in the German capital in May of this year (+12.1 percent), the number of room nights rose to 727,600 (+13.5 percent).

Tourists in particular from Sweden (+23.8 percent), France (+21.9 percent) and the United Kingdom (+15.8 percent) selected Berlin as their travel destination in May. Now that the flight restrictions caused by the Icelandic cloud of volcanic ash have been lifted, more guests from the USA again travelled to the German capital (+11.4 percent).

The number of accommodation providers likewise increased in May 2010: with 742 hotels and guest houses with a total of 111,214 beds (+8.9 percent), national and international tourists had 63 more hotels to choose from than in May 2009.

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