GNTB’s focus on sustainability provides synergy with the official ATM 2023 theme - Working Towards NetZero
With a vision of Making Tourism More Sustainable to GCC travel professionals at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) presented a campaign update of various such ideas. A press statement from GNTB says that under the slogan, Germany, simply inspiring, it is focusing on the sustainability related aspects across a number of tourism segments. The GNTB’s focus on sustainability provides synergy with the official ATM 2023 theme – Working Towards NetZero.
In addition, GNTB adds, Dubai will be the host for COP28 this year and outbound tour operators and travel agents will no doubt have sustainable travel at the top of their agendas.
The statement says that Embrace German Nature, highlighting natural landscapes and activity holidays; Historic Modern Germany, promoting cultural heritage and 51 UNESCO world heritage sites, with a spotlight on traditions and customs of rural regions were some segments included. And thirdly, their Feel Good – Sustainable Travel in Germany campaign, emphasising how to enjoy an environmentally friendly holiday in Germany.
Yamina Sofo
“We aim to make a meaningful contribution towards climate change mitigation, supporting Germany’s commitment to net zero, as well as driving increasing numbers of environmentally aware, inbound GCC tourists,” said Yamina Sofo, Director at the German National Tourist GCC Office (GNTO GCC), an affiliate of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB).
“We want to present Germany as an all-year-round destination, that is not only sustainable, but diverse, accessible, inclusive, resilient and viable for the future,” she added.
The statement says Germany’s highest performing inbound source market in Asia and Australia is currently the GCC area, where 404,707 visitors generated about 1.13 overnight stays in 2022, a rise of 117.6 pc over the same time in 2021.
“These figures confirm that Germany continues to be a preferred tourism destination for GCC visitors and unspoilt nature and careful use of resources are clearly becoming increasingly important to them. We also want to encourage longer stays in order to reduce the carbon footprint per travel day,” said Sofo.
It goes on to say that Germany has more than 350 spa and health resorts, and the GNTB is concentrating on the components of health tourism that relate to sustainability. These include examples of sustainable energy management, the preservation of conventional medical practices, and regionally specific treatments and remedies that promote economic prosperity.
