Berlin, 23 July 2014 Berlin is the fastest growing among the Top 10 tourist destination cities in Europe. Berlin posted an 8.2 per cent increase in the number of overnight stays in 2013 (+2.01 million nights), the largest growth in Europe, leaving the top two destinations behind. London showed a growth of only 3.3 per cent in overnight stays, while Paris saw a slight decline of 0.6 per cent in the same period. These were the latest figures revealed in the benchmark study conducted each year by European Cities Marketing (ECM), which evaluates the growth of tourism in 115 European cities. The annual study is the most comprehensive and extensive source for city tourism statistics in Europe.

Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin: “Berlin maintains its unbroken attractiveness as city of freedom and tolerance and as authentic place of history, coupled with a magnetism for young, creative minds from all over the world. In addition, Berlin is the only world city that offers the full package for little money. This mixture is the recipe for the success of our city.”

Berlin Popular with International Guests

Berlin’s tourism industry has grown by a total of 42.7 per cent since 2009 – the strongest growth among the top ten cities. Berlin owes this growth to the high proportion of international guests who come to the city: This segment has grown by 55 per cent in the past five years. In 2013, 42.9 per cent of all Berlin visitors came from abroad. As a destination for city breaks, Berlin is particularly popular with travellers from Spain. Berlin is also achieving top rankings among guests from the UK, USA, China and Russia. The influx of Russian visitors represents a large portion of the growth: Their number of overnight stays increased by 21.5 per cent in 2013 alone. In addition, Russian tourists tend to stay longer in the city than other international guests.

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About the Study

European Cities Marketing (ECM) is a network of city marketing organisations headquartered in France. The ECM provides a platform for about 115 cities in 32 European countries. Each year, the organisation publishes “The European Cities Marketing Benchmarking Report”, prepared by the MODUL University in Vienna in collaboration with the ECM Benchmarking Group. The study appears for the tenth time in 2014.