- Number of overnight stays in the southwest continues to rise
Tourism in Baden-Württemberg is booming. In the first half of the year, there were almost 26.8 million overnight stays - an increase of 3.5 percent compared to the previous year, according to preliminary data from the Statistical Office of the State. The number of arrivals increased by 4.5 percent to a total of 10.8 million from January to June.
Stuttgart benefits from the European Football Championship
The number of overnight stays increased significantly in February and March. In April and June, however, they decreased compared to the respective previous years. The unusually weak June could be attributed to the unstable weather. In particular, domestic guests booked fewer overnight stays, which could not be compensated for by an increase in overnight stays by foreign guests.
This development was particularly noticeable in the Hegau, Lake Constance region, the Black Forest, and Allgäu-Oberschwaben. An exception was the Stuttgart region, which benefited from the European Football Championship in June and recorded an overnight stay increase of 20 percent, contrary to the statewide trend.
Most travel regions with an increase
In the entire first half of the year, most of the nine travel regions in the state reported an increase in overnight stays: The number increased significantly in the Stuttgart region with an increase of more than one tenth. There were slight decreases - but at a relatively high level - in the southern Black Forest and the Lake Constance region. All accommodation establishments with more than ten sleeping accommodations are included in the statistics.
Overall, slightly more than 81 percent of overnight stays were booked by German visitors. The rest was accounted for by foreign guests, whose share remained slightly lower than in the first half of 2019, before the Corona pandemic.
State Secretary: South-West is popular
According to Tourism State Secretary Patrick Rapp (CDU), the arrival and overnight stay numbers are at record highs. "Baden-Württemberg is a very popular brand among vacationers, a very popular vacation destination," he said. The balance is positive. Despite the rainy months, new records were not self-evident.
Rapp was particularly pleased about the boost from the European Football Championship in Stuttgart, where five games were played: The sporting event brought football fans from all over Europe to the region. "Of course, we hope that the effects and the atmosphere will remain noticeable in the long term".
The decrease in overnight stays during April and June could be partially attributed to the global spread of the Coronavirus, leading to travel restrictions and fear of infectious diseases. Despite this, the Stuttgart region saw a 20% increase in overnight stays in June, likely due to the European Football Championship, providing a respite from the global trend.
