Berlin, 12 August 2010 The results for the first half of 2010 are very positive for the Berlin tourism industry. According to the latest figures from the Berlin-Brandenburg Statistics Office, a total of 4.2 million visitors travelled to the German capital between January and June. This corresponds to a growth of 11.7 percent. The number of room nights rose by 14.2 percent to 9.6 million. “These figures pay a big compliment from around the world to the Berliners and their city”, says Burkhard Kieker, CEO of Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH.

The growth has been generated by visitors from both inside and outside Germany. 2.8 million guests from Germany paid a visit to their capital, 10.3 percent more than during the same period the previous year. They chalked up 5.8 million room nights in the city’s accommodation sector and this, in turn, meant a rise of 12 percent. Double-digit growth has also been recorded for foreign guests and room nights. The number of international guests climbed by 14.5 percent to 1.5 million, that of room nights by 17.9 percent to 3.8 million.

Kieker continues, “The steady growth shows that Berlin is one of the most popular cities in the world. The growth on the BRIC markets (Brazil, Russia, India and China) alone is huge: 30 percent more guests from China, 33 percent more from India and an incredible 59.3 percent more from Brazil.

With 1.9 million room nights and 856,000 guest arrivals, the month of June 2010 has set a new record in the Berlin statistics. The number of hotel beds has likewise reached the highest level ever. At the end of June visitors to the German capital had a choice of a total of 742 accommodation establishments with some 111,500 beds. The number of beds was 7.3 percent higher than the previous year.

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