Germany has more to offer than quality vehicles: Envoy

Urging Indians to explore Germany's "natural beauty", German Ambassador Martin Ney on Thursday said his country stands not only for quality vehicles and world-class industry but has a lot more to offer, "such as vibrant cities, natural beauty and inspiring cultural monuments".

"Just take Cologne Cathedral or the Semperoper in Dresden. The nearly twofold increase of Indian travelers in less than a decade shows that Germany is a trending destination on the global tourism map.

"To all those who are interested to see for themselves and explore the country I would like to extend a warm 'Herzlich willkommen'," he said, while speaking at the annual press conference of the German National Tourist Office (GNTO).

The GNTO, which carries out several consumer marketing and trade campaigns through the year to bring forth Germany's attractions, activities and experiences, is focusing on the theme "Germany: Holidays in the heart of nature" for 2016.

"Germany which has always been a favoured business hub is now growing as a leisure destination for the Indian travelers. Owing to this steady growth, we forecast a 8-10 percent growth for the year 2016," it said in a statement.