Berlin, 11 May 2010 The Berlin travel sector chalked up high growth rates in March 2010. According to the latest data from the Berlin-Brandenburg Statistics Office, the German capital welcomed some 729,178 visitors, 16 percent more guests than in the same month the previous year. The number of room nights rose even more markedly: 1,659,623 room nights generated a rise of 21.8 percent.

“We are really delighted with these excellent figures”, commented Burkhard Kieker, CEO of Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH. "Berlin is currently riding high. The visual power of the events last year – the anniversary of the Fall of the Wall and the World Championships in Athletics – has been converted into trips. But we shouldn’t make the mistake of taking anything for granted.”

In March the number of German tourists increased by 14.2 percent and the number of foreign visitors by 19.7 percent. A marked rise was also recorded for room nights for international guests: 25.4 percent more guests from across the globe translated into 659,404 nights in Berlin hotel rooms. The volume of visitors from Norway (+69.4 percent), Denmark (+42 percent) and Brazil (+136.4 percent) was particularly high.

At the end of March Berlin offered visitors to the city 110,075 beds in 732 accommodation establishments.

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