Hamburg Tourismus presents good first half-year figures

"The popularity of guests who come to Hamburg continues unabated. The trend is stable and very pleasing," said Melanie Leonhard, Senator for Economics. This is due to the constant demand from guests across Germany, who account for 78.2 per cent of visitors. Demand from foreign guests, particularly Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Britain and the Netherlands, rose by 4.7 per cent in the first half of 2024. During the European Football Championship in particular, visitors from the Netherlands accounted for 28 per cent more overnight stays in Hamburg. "The positive experiences and emotional images led to enormous reach. Our target for the EURO was clearly exceeded. This will have a positive impact on visitor numbers in future, e.g., from the Netherlands," said Michael Otremba, Managing Director of Hamburg Marketing.

Around 100 million day visitors every year play a key role in tourism across Hamburg. These tourists are particularly important for smaller businesses and places on the outskirts of the tourist hotspots. The gross turnover of around EUR 4.1 billion from day visitors accounted for around half of consumer spending in tourism. Around 88 per cent of day visitors come for leisure reasons, while the remaining 12 per cent are business travellers.

Tourism is an important economic factor for Hamburg, according to Hamburg Tourism. Around 92 per cent of respondents surveyed by the German Institute for Tourism Research (FH Westküste) and Touristicon said tourism is a key economic factor for the city. Tourism has a positive impact on Hamburg, according to 70 per cent of residents. "The results of the survey show that tourism goes far beyond its economic importance and raises the quality of life noticeably," said Otremba.

Hamburg remains a magnet for visitors in the second half of 2024 with numerous events. The Open Mouth Hamburg Food Festival will highlight all kinds of culinary delicacies while Stage Entertainment will bring two German premieres “& Julia - the Pop Musical” and “The Michael Jackson Musical to the city. A huge shopping centre is due to open its doors in HafenCity’s Westfield Überseequartier on October 17, 2024.
mm/pb