Germany eyes 10 lakh visitor overnights from India by 2020

Germany is targeting 10 lakh annual visitor overnights from India by 2020 by promoting the country as one of the affordable leisure destinations in Europe.
"We have received 3,29,860 visitor overnights from India from January till May this year and are confident of reaching 8 lakh mark by the end of this year.
"We are promoting Germany as an affordable destination in Europe for Indian tourists, which will help in reaching the target of 10 lakh by 2020," German National Tourist Board Director (Sales and Marketing) Romit Theophilus told PTI here.
In 2016, Germany had hosted 7.5 lakh Indian tourists, according to data compiled by German National Tourist Board.

Theophilus said Germany has set a long term target of hosting 20 lakh visitor overnights from India by 2030.
Germany, positioned as a mass destination for India, is promoting itself as an affordable tourist spot for travellers from Asia's third largest economy.

"We are promoting Germany as an affordable destination for Indians. People think Germany is very expensive, but one can travel (to the country) from as low as Rs 60,000 per person, which is very low," he added.
Germany, he said, is targeting pan-India population through various mediums of promotion, including digital, social media and select road shows.
"We are looking at travel enthusiasts from across the country who are 25 years or above, and are pushing Germany as a destination for everyone."

The board is spending over 3 lakh euros annually to promote Germany in India and this budget is growing every year, Theophilus said.
He said Germany is also focusing on the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events (MICE) and wedding segment to boost tourism. "We are MICE and wedding-ready with all infrastructure in place. We can host events from just 20 to 10,000 people easily."
An excellent direct air connectivity between both the countries - with 60 weekly flights - has also given tourism a boost, Theophilus said.
"Germany is connected directly with India with 60 weekly flights being operated by Air India and Lufthansa," he added.