Northern Germany Tourism Posts Slight Growth in First Half of Year

Tourism in Schleswig-Holstein edged higher in the first six months of the year, despite what officials described as continuing uncertainty around the world. About 4.276 million visitors arrived between January and June, a 1.3 percent increase from the same period a year earlier. Overnight stays rose just 0.4 percent, reaching roughly 15.821 million.

Tourism Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen said the figures from the Statistics Office North confirmed a trend toward shorter holidays. Stefan Borgmann, managing director of the Schleswig-Holstein Tourism Agency, added that bookings had also become more spontaneous in recent years. Some travelers now wait until they are already on the road before booking accommodation.

“That makes things difficult for our businesses, because predictability is falling,” Borgmann said.

Destinations along the Baltic Sea and in inland areas performed slightly better than the North Sea coast, where overall figures declined modestly. Overnight stays at campsites remained stable. Madsen said the experience offered by a destination was becoming more important to visitors, while prices also needed to remain proportionate to what travelers received. He said Schleswig-Holstein still had work to do on that balance.

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That makes things difficult for our businesses, because predictability is falling.