Berlin, 8 November 2014 The images of the “Border of Light”, a lighting installation that will pass through the heart of the German capital from 7–9 November, will add to the world’s image of Berlin. The result, visitBerlin estimates, will be a large number of people who will decide to take their first trip to Berlin.

Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin remarks: “The images are certainly going to attract the world’s attention. If you’re not here for this event, you’ll soon find yourself making travel plans to come to this fascinating city of freedom.” There has been a growing interest in the German capital among visitors coming from outside Europe. “Berlin is becoming a must-see for people from Asia and North and South America planning trips to Europe”, says Kieker.

Berlin is perceived as being an authentic place in history. Visitors can see the places where some of the formative events of the twentieth century took place. It is for this reason that the Robert-Havemann-Stiftung is sponsoring one hundred information points along the “border of light”. They tell stories about the Wall on the very spot where they actually happened.

Berlin tourism has developed rapidly in the quarter century since the Wall fell in 1989. There were 2.4 million overnight visitors in the year the Wall fell; that number had climbed to 11.3 million by 2013. The number of overnight stays jumped from 6.6 million to 26.9 million in the same period. The trend has continued in 2014: compared to the same period (January to August) last year, the number of overnight stays has jumped by 6 percent.