Growth prospects for German inbound tourism in 2026

A 4.0 per cent increase in overnight stays by international visitors in December confirms the positive business expectations of the international travel industry for Germany – Tourism Economics forecasts 3.2 per cent growth in inbound travel to Germany in 2026 – Continued strong willingness to travel in Europe and overseas

Frankfurt am Main, 11 February 2026 – Within a challenging market environment, business expectations of the international travel industry regarding its Germany business improved steadily over the course of 2025. In 2026, German inbound tourism is expected to generate growth once again, according to the assessment of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) following an evaluation of the figures available to date.

Petra Hedorfer, CEO of the GNTB, comments:
“Global travel conditions were volatile last year due to complex international conflicts. Nevertheless, Germany continues to play in the Champions League as a travel destination. According to UN Tourism data, Germany started 2025 ranked 8th among the world’s most popular travel destinations. For 2026, we expect international overnight stays in Germany to grow by 3.2 per cent compared to the previous year. Our excellent positioning in city and cultural tourism, unique natural landscapes and a very good price-performance ratio provide a strong starting position in international competition in 2026 as well.”

Outlook for 2026: Positive momentum for Germany’s inbound tourism

Globally, UN Tourism forecasts further growth of three to five per cent for 2026. The European Travel Commission’s (ETC) Monitoring Sentiment for Intra-European Travel(Wave 23) confirmed in October 2025 the previous year’s figure of 73 per cent of Europeans intending to travel within their own continent over the following six months. In selected overseas markets, the ETC’s Long-Haul Travel Barometer reported in January 2026 largely stable interest in long-haul travel to Europe for the first four months of the year.

The GNTB Travel Industry Expert Panel – a survey of around 250 key accounts and CEOs of international travel companies with Germany business – also shows a clear upward trend at the turn of the year 2025/26. In the fourth quarter of 2025, 61 per cent of experts rated their current inbound tourism business to Germany positively, an increase of eight percentage points compared to the third quarter. Fifty-seven per cent of respondents expect a continued positive development in their Germany business from December 2025 to May 2026 – an increase of eleven percentage points.

With 6.7 million overnight stays by international visitors in December, an increase of 4.0 per cent compared to the same month of the previous year, total international overnight stays reached 83.8 million in 2025 for German inbound tourism, according to preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office covering hotels and accommodation establishments with at least ten beds. The annual result of minus 1.8 per cent compared to the previous year reflects special effects from additional visitor volumes generated by the UEFA European Football Championship and major concert events in 2024. In addition, the annual result was impacted by reduced purchasing power due to the escalating global trade conflicts in 2025 and by the weaker performance of the international business travel market.