Despite Record Year for German Tourism: DTV Warns of Investment Gap

(eap) “German tourism achieved the best result in its history in 2025,” emphasises Reinhard Meyer, President of the German Tourism Association (DTV), the umbrella organisation of municipal, regional and state tourism bodies. According to the Federal Statistical Office, hotels, guesthouses and campsites recorded a total of 497.5 million overnight stays by guests from Germany and abroad. This places the result 0.3 per cent above the previous record year of 2024. The development was driven primarily by domestic travellers, who accounted for 83 per cent of overnight stays.

In the long term, demand has increased significantly: from 2005 to 2025, the number of overnight stays rose by more than 150 million. However, growth is also increasing pressure on the tourism infrastructure: “Tourism infrastructure must keep pace with rising demand. Otherwise, there is a risk of overburdening tourism regions and damaging Germany’s image as a travel destination,” Meyer states. Guests expect reliable mobility services, well-maintained cycling and hiking trails, clean beaches and cities, as well as barrier-free attractions. Demographic change is further increasing the demand for easily accessible offers.

With regard to the financial situation of many municipalities, the DTV nevertheless expresses concern. These authorities bear a substantial share of the investment in the expansion and maintenance of basic tourism infrastructure but are under considerable pressure in view of growing budget deficits. “If the federal and state governments do not relieve the burden on municipalities, the basic infrastructure in tourism regions risks deteriorating. This would jeopardise the successful development of German tourism,” warns the DTV President.

For leisure and theme parks, which represent an important segment of tourism, a somewhat more moderate trend in visitor growth is evident when looking back at the 2025 season. Nevertheless, 70 percent of European operators of theme parks and attractions reported increases or stable results last year. Although park operators are also affected by weakening basic infrastructure and excessive bureaucracy, stakeholders in the leisure industry continue to invest regularly in new attractions and offers for their visitors, as shown by the benchmark figures in our current EAP Park Report, which will be published in early March in issue 2/2026 of EAP Magazine. ■