The German National Tourist Office (GNTO) recently organised its India roadshow in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, which received tremendous response from the Indian travel trade. The Delhi road show witnessed 250 trade visitors, Bengaluru recorded 150 and Mumbai received 300-350 trade visitors, Till Weigl, Destination Manager, Asia & Australia, GNTO, revealed.
Speaking on the sidelines of the roadshow, Romit Theophilus, Director (Sales & Marketing), GNTO – India Office, said that Indian arrival to Germany is at par with last year. “In 2012, we received 500,000 overnights and we are hopeful to maintain the same number in 2013 too. We could have seen an increase in Indian arrival, however, the depreciation in rupee has made package cost 30-40 per cent more expensive. We are happy that we notched better business from India compared to other European destinations, and we are expecting the situation to stabilise in 2014,” Theophilus said.
In 2014, GNTO will highlight German culture and events such as the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the UNESCO world heritage sites. “We will continue to promote ‘affordable hospitality’, a campaign specially designed for the Indian market. We are also tapping the FIT, MICE and honeymoon segments as these offer good growth opportunities.”
Speaking on MICE movement from India, Theophilus stated that MICE contributes 20 per cent and leisure contributes 25 per cent, while the remaining is fuelled by business travel to Germany. “We have received Indian incentive groups of 500- 1,000 people in the past. However, a lot of corporates have put off MICE travel for this year due to the rupee depreciation but they have committed to us that they would do it next year,” he added.
GNTO is also tapping repeat visitors as Germany is full of activities and unexplored destinations, Weigl, said. “Many first time visitors have the image of Germany as romantic and a mountainous destination area but there is a Germany outside of that area as well. Germany has a very long and extensive shoreline that many people don’t know of.”
Germany also plans to have one GNTO roadshow every year to help the German partners to understand the Indian market better, hence further aiding in developing the image of Germany as a great tourist destination suitable to Indian travellers, Theophilus said, adding that GNTO will majorly focus on end-consumers in 2014.
As many as 12 German suppliers participated in this three-city roadshow including Frankfurt Tourism & Congress, Deutsche Bahn, Stuttgart, Visit Berlin, Alpha Travel Consultants, Maritim Hotels, Steigenberger, Emirates, K D Rhine Line, Berlin TV Tower, Saxony, DZT India.
