Foreign tourists have voted Neuschwanstein Castle the best place to visit in Germany. Number two on the list is Europa-Park, followed at number three by Cologne Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) carried out the poll - the second of its kind - to find out which of Germany's many sights and places of interest were the most popular among foreign tourists. Between 1 July 2012 and the end of March 2013, visitors were able to vote for their 'top sights' at www.germany.travel/top100. This produced a list of 700 tourist highlights, which were then ranked according to popularity. The survey, which was available in 26 languages, registered more than 46,000 clicks.

Destination Germany is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe and is, according to IPK International 2013, the number one cultural travel destination for Europeans. It was ranked fifth out of 50 nations worldwide as a cultural destination in the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index. Prominent among Germany's many cultural treasures are the 37 natural and cultural heritage sites that have been recognised by UNESCO. In 2014 the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) will be putting Germany's UNESCO World Heritage sites at the centre of its global marketing activities under the banner 'UNESCO World Heritage – sustainable cultural and natural tourism'.

A strong year for international travel by Europeans: according to the World Travel Monitor (WTM) and IPK International, in 2012, Europeans made more than 420 million trips to other countries. Nearly 85 per cent (355 million) of those were within Europe. This means that Europe maintains its prominent position as the largest source and destination market in international tourism.

Social media @GTM www.germany.travel/ gtmlive: The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) will be communicating from the 39th GTM Germany Travel Mart™ in Stuttgart via a range of social media channels – with live updates leading up to and during the most important inbound tourism workshop for Destination Germany. This includes platforms such as Twitter, Foursquare and Storify, among others. The GNTB is using these channels to disseminate information on the seminars, the workshop, network events and on the international press conference at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

The 39th Germany Travel Mart™, the largest marketplace for inbound tourism in Germany, is being hosted in Stuttgart from 5 to 7 May 2013. The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) is staging this year's event in collaboration with Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH and Regio Stuttgart Marketing- und Tourismus GmbH. "The GTM is Destination Germany's most important B2B platform," explains Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the GNTB. "It is a high-calibre forum where German suppliers can come together with key account managers from all over the world to find the best ways of marketing Germany as a travel destination." This year, the GNTB will again be using social media channels such as Twitter, Foursquare and Storify to ensure that the event reaches the widest possible audience.

This year, Germany celebrates the bicentenary of composer and lyricist Richard Wagner, made famous by his operas, including The Ring Cycle, for which he drew inspiration from German legends and folk tales and many of which rival today’s onscreen and online fantasy worlds. Canadians interested in finding out how the country honours her illustrious son can now access the German National Tourist Board’s microsite “Music is the language of passion.” In addition to information about Wagner’s life and the year’s commemorative events, the site includes an interactive map profiling the 13 towns and cities most closely linked to Wagner’s life and legacy.

Comme il arrive si souvent dans de nombreuses légendes, une seule chose semble certaine dans l’histoire du Joueur de Flûte: au Moyen-Âge, plus de 130 enfants ont mystérieusement disparu d’Hamelin, une ville située en Basse Saxe, en Allemagne, et donnant sur la rivière Weser. Aujourd’hui, les théories qui circulent pour expliquer comment et pourquoi ces enfants ont disparu vont des ravages causés par la peste à un acte de vengeance, d’un exode modeste vers des régions vastes et peuplées d’Europe de l’Est au pouvoir de séduction qu’aurait exercé un gourou d’une secte sur ces enfants.

As with so many legends, only one thing seems certain in the story of the Pied Piper: in the Middle Ages, more than 130 children mysteriously disappeared from Hamelin, a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the river Weser. Today’s theories as to why and how they disappeared range from a plague, to a ruse out of revenge, to a small exodus to populate far-flung regions in eastern Europe, and even to seduction by the leader of a sect.

Germany has become an increasingly popular destination for young people over the past few years. Says the German National Tourist Board’s CEO Petra Hedorfer, “From Europe alone, the source region that generates the most overnight stays for Destination Germany, almost ten million trips were made by young people aged between 15 and 29 in 2011.” Focusing on youth travel in 2013 under the theme ‘Germany for young people – vibrant, fashionable, innovative,’ the GNTB has developed “Youth HotSpots in Germany – Share the moment,” a social media campaign that reaches out to young people using the most appropriate tool for this target group.

Lorsque, en janvier 1959, l’Office National Allemand du Tourisme a ouvert son premier bureau de représentation au Canada, sur la rue Sherbrooke Ouest à Montréal, ce sont le Premier Ministre Louis Saint-Laurent et le Chancelier Konrad Adenauer qui étaient à la tête du pouvoir au Canada et en Allemagne. Soixante ans et plusieurs chefs politiques plus tard, les liens entre les deux pays sont plus forts que jamais et ce, grâce, en grande partie, à la curiosité réciproque des deux nations et ce désir d’en apprendre toujours davantage l’un sur l’autre et par le biais des voyages.

When, in January 1959, the German National Tourist Office opened its first representation in Canada on Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal, Prime Minister Louis Saint-Laurent and Chancellor Konrad Adenauer held the reigns of power in Canada and Germany. Sixty years and many political leaders later, the ties between both countries are stronger than ever, thanks in no small part to the curiosity of both nations to learn more about each other through travel.

Pour la toute première fois cette année, le bureau canadien de l’ONAT organise sa tournée Destination Allemagne des rendez-vous de l’industrie exclusivement au Canada. Les professionnels de l’industrie de Toronto, Montréal et Vancouver auront la chance de rencontrer dans leur secteur des partenaires touristiques clés qui fournissent des services de voyage en Allemagne.

For the first time ever this year, the GNTO’s Canadian office hosts its travelling trade show events Destination Germany exclusively in Canada. Industry professionals in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver will have the opportunity to meet locally with key tourism partners supplying travel services to Germany.