Religious Tourism Meets Active Travel In Germany

Last year set a record for tourism to Germany, which was up 5% from 2014 to 79.7 million overnights, and the best-ever year for American tourists, up 8%, with 5.6 million overnights.

“The U.S. is our most important overseas market,” said Lisa Hübner, head of public relations, North America for the German National Tourist Office.

Among the top draws, she noted, is the religious tourism market, where the historic Lutheran sites and the Luther trail “seem to be resonating” with travelers from all nations as Luther’s 500^th Anniversary approaches, while a new generation of Jewish travelers is drawn by a reinvigorated Jewish community, the reopening of synagogues, and the Jewish Museum in Berlin.

The combination of heritage tours and offerings for active travelers make for a unique vacation experience, Hübner noted. Germany has designated 150 “scenic routes” that “allow you to get off the beaten path but still offer some structure,” accessible by bike or car or train. Designed to “get people into new regions, out of the big cities,” they include the romance route, the cheese route, the asparagus route, the toy route, the fairy tale route, and the gemstones route. 

And while visiting castles sounds like a high-end experience, Germany actually is surprisingly affordable, Hübner noted. With 193 new hotels opening across the country, the average room night is about $99 including breakfast, and opera and theater tickets are subsidized by the government.

For interested travel professionals, the German Tourist Board offers webinars and training programs as well as fam trips, plus two road shows a year.