Berlin, 11 August 2014 More and more international tourists are discovering Berlin and staying in the city for longer. In the first six months of the current year, the number of foreign visitors increased by 4.6 per cent and the number of their overnight stays increased by 8.4 per cent. In total, 5.5 million visitors (plus 4.4%) came from Germany and abroad, which generated 13.2 million overnight stays (plus 6.3%). This has emerged from the latest numbers from the Berlin-Brandenburg State Office for Statistics, which accounts for registered hotel guests. Additionally, up to 15,000 legal and illegal holiday homes accommodate visitors in the city.

Most tourists came from the UK (218,000, plus 4.6 % compared to the first half of 2013), the USA (156,000, plus 3.9 %), and Italy (143, 000, plus 6.8 %). The tourist figures from the Netherlands (133,000, plus 7.2 %), Poland (76,000, plus 25.7 %) and Spain (93,000, plus 8.3 %) also increased substantially.

Cornelia Yzer, Senator for economics, technology and research, comments: “Berlin is booming. The new record numbers in tourism show the German capital is more popular than ever before with international and national visitors. Tourism remains a key factor for the Berlin economy. With a turnover of approximately 11.5 billion euros and 275,000 employees, the increasing visitor numbers ensure investments and job openings in Berlin.”

Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin, says: “Working continuously with the European and intercontinental markets is increasingly paying off. Berlin has become a highly sought after travel destination.”

visitBerlin predicts that the positive tourism balance sheet for the first half of the year will continue in the second: in July, the Fan Mile was an excellent start to the summer season and August has now established itself as the strongest month for visitors.

Berlin has also been expanding its position as an event location for international congresses. Its percentage increased from 15 to 17 per cent. In total, 61,000 events with 4.75 million attendees in the first half of the year mean a plus of 2 per cent each. Jointly with the hotel industry, trade fairs, and other partners, the visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office promotes Berlin internationally as a congress location.

You can find more tourism statistics at press.visitBerlin.com.