Berlin, 10 August 2012visitBerlin strikes a positive half-year balance for the tourism and convention business of the German capital: 5,058,677 visitors (+ 10.8 %) travelled to Berlin from January to June 2012, and spent 11,332,553 nights (+ 10.9 %) in the German capital during that period*. About one fourth of the room nights were generated by participants in meetings and conventions. They attended 57,800 meetings and conventions (+ 8.1%) during the first half-year 2012.

“The growth during the first half-year has exceeded our expectations by far”, says visitBerlin CEO Burkhard Kieker. “Despite a difficult economic environment outside Germany, the international guests are remarkable growth drivers in Berlin. Berlin’s special attraction appears to be unbroken.”

Double-digit growth rates for international guest numbers

Berlin continues its uptrend: significant growth is recorded by the numbers of international visitors. 1,822,042 foreign guests travelled to Berlin during the first half-year 2012 (+ 12.8 %). They spent 4,646,376 nights in the city; this likewise corresponds to a 12.8 percent increase. The metropolis was particularly popular during the first six months of this year with guests from France (+ 19 %), Italy (+ 13.6 %) and Spain (+ 6.7 %). The growth rates on the European foreign markets as well as in the BRIC states are consistent with the marketing focus of visitBerlin.

The 781 accommodation providers of the city made available a total of 125,743 beds (June 2012). The average length of stay amounted to 2.2 days during the first half-year.

Strong demand for Berlin’s event locations

Event organisers decide increasingly in favour of Berlin and stage more and more meetings and conventions in the city. The 57,800 events during the first half-year 2012 were attended by 4.6 million participants. These are seven percent more than during the comparable prior year period or 300,000 additional guests in absolute numbers. They spent 3.1 million nights in Berlin (+ 3%).

“The stepping up of our convention acquisition efforts is paying off. Berlin is number four on the international level amongst the cities with the highest number of association congresses, and for medical congresses Berlin is even number one”, says Kieker.

A central role is played by Berlin’s convention hotels: at the 50,300 events (+ 8%) staged there, 2.8 million participants (+ 3 %) were recorded. The highest growth rate was accounted for by special locations, such as bcc, Tempodrom or Kalkscheune. 200,000 or 20 percent more participants than last year were counted there.

Medical conventions and meetings (18 %) top the list, followed by political events (16%) and events in the fields of “banks, commerce, insurance” (14 %).

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* Source: Berlin-Brandenburg Statistics Office

** Source: Convention Statistics Half-Year Report 2012, prepared by the independent

market research company ghh consult GmbH on

behalf of the Berlin Convention Office of visitBerlin