With over 230 international buyers and more than 200 German exhibitors, the 49th Germany Travel Mart (GTM) that concluded in Essen last week saw a total of 5,300 business to business appointments.

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) says it received an overwhelmingly good reception at the recently organised 49th Germany Travel Mart (GTM) in Essen. According to a press statement by GNTB, around 200 German brands from the hotel industry, transport sector and leisure industry as well as incoming services, regional tourism organisations and about 230 buyers from international travel companies and from online travel companies availed the platform to network and negotiate offers for the upcoming year. As many as 5,300 appointments were set up using the GTM Networking Tool of the GNTB while the event was covered by over 100 journalists.

GNTO says that 90 pc of suppliers that participated in an on-site poll conducted during the event said they were satisfied or extremely satisfied with the way GTM ran.

“GTM 2023 once again confirmed the importance of face-to-face meetings as a means of continual business relationships on an ongoing basis. As many as 83 pc of suppliers had already participated in the GTM in the past, 97 pc of the respondents were able to make new business contacts and 87 pc intend to participate in the GTM again in the future. At the same time, the positive feedback from the participants confirmed the GTM’s key topics, sustainability, digital transformation, linking city breaks with rural regions, climate  friendly and environmentally friendly transportation and extending the length of stay. The positive response to GTM 2023 is a strong signal for the position of German inbound tourism in the global competition among destinations,” says Petra Hedorfer, CEO of the Board of Directors of the GNTB.

“The response from both our partners and agents has been overwhelming and we are grateful for all the support that we have received through the years in our endeavour in showcasing Germany as a travel destination in the Indian tourism landscape. A formidable representation of Germany‘s touristic offering indicates a strong interest in the Indian market and on the  other hand, the presence of our trade partners at such events only reinforces Germany‘s strong appeal to the Indian traveller. This exceedingly well-organised travel mart also presents the latest news and trends in Germany’s incoming tourism industry to selected Indian journalists, whose reports then generate additional push in the German travel market,” says Romit Theophilus, Director of German National Tourist Office in India.

GNTB adds that the 49th GTM was also set up as a ‘Green Meeting’. Some of the concrete steps taken to lessen the event’s carbon footprint include encouraging environmentally friendly rail travel, offsetting the CO2 emissions of all flights, sourcing food as much as possible locally, using reusable trade show furniture, and utilising energy-efficient event technology.

“In terms of growth from India, we had a decent year with a year to date growth of over 205 pc in comparison to 2021. Germany welcomed more than 600,000 more Indians in 2022 as compared to the same period in 2021. For the coming years, the country has a lot to offer in terms of adventure, food, cuisine, new unexplored destinations, and unique experiences. We are thankful to our partners for their continued support and we hope that we welcome more tourists for the upcoming season,” Theophilus adds.