UNESCO World Heritage in Germany – a Major Selling Point for Cultural Tourism From Abroad

Destination Germany is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe and is, according to IPK International, the number one cultural travel destination for Europeans. Prominent among Germany’s many cultural treasures are the 37 natural and cultural heritage sites that have been recognised by UNESCO. In 2014 the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) will be putting Germany’s UNESCO World Heritage sites at the centre of its global marketing activities under the banner ‘UNESCO World Heritage – sustainable cultural and natural tourism’. “The UNESCO status is not only of great importance to Germany, it’s also a key indicator of quality in international tourism,” says Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB). “In partnership with the German Commission for UNESCO and German UNESCO World Heritage Sites Association, we will be pursuing intensive marketing activities in order to raise the international profile of Germany’s UNESCO World Heritage sites and to promote cultural tourism to Germany.” The German Commission for UNESCO and the GNTB have produced a joint logo that will accompany all activities as part of the themed campaign for 2014.

Germany’s UNESCO World Heritage includes important churches, abbeys and palaces, parks, historic town ensembles, industrial monuments and entire natural landscapes. They are a key part of tourism in Germany and play a significant role in the country’s outstanding image as an attractive cultural destination. In the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum in 2011, Destination Germany scored 6.2 out of a possible seven points for its cultural resources in an international comparison of 139 countries. According to the 2011/2012 Quality Monitor, a survey of the German tourism industry carried out by the GNTB and travel insurance company Europäische Reiseversicherung (ERV), 50 per cent of foreign visitors to Germany take culturally motivated holidays.

Cooperation between the GNTB and the German UNESCO World Heritage Sites Association
The German UNESCO World Heritage Sites Association has been a member of the GNTB since 2010, and through this close cooperation aims to promote specialised, sustainable and low-impact tourism to Germany’s UNESCO World Heritage sites. Furthermore, the GNTB’s membership of the German UNESCO World Heritage Sites Association consolidates the close working relation ship between the two organisations. The website, a joint publication and intensive media work are the core tools in the international sales and marketing activities promoting World Heritage sites. Multimedia content on the UNESCO World Heritage sites is available in twelve languages at www.germany.travel/unesco. 360-degree panoramas, photos and videos give visitors to the website a virtual experience of the different attractions. An interactive map shows the location of the sites as well as other points of interest such as scenic routes, footpaths, cycling trails, spa towns and health resorts, which provide additional incentives to travel.

Other handy sources of information include route planners and weather forecasts as well as listings of events, restaurants and hotels operated by GNTB members. The GNTB website www.germany.travel is available to PC and laptop users and, in an adapted form, for smartphones and tablets. 

German National Tourist Board
Beethovenstrasse 6960325 Frankfurt am Main
Tel.: +49 (0)69 9746 4262
Fax: +49 (0)69 9746 4233
presse@germany.travel
www.germany.travel