There were more than the echoes of Oberammergau's legendary Passion Play chorus emanating throughout the Alps during the 48th Germany Travel Mart (GTM), hosted by The German National Tourist Board (GNTB).
Between May 1–3, more than 300 international travel trade partners and media representatives spanning 34 countries congregated in the charming Bavarian village to network and celebrate the first in-person event since 2020 and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regarded as the most important fixture for international travel trade, the highlight of GTM each year is a two-day, business-to-business exchange. The agents met with local German tour operators to better understand the country’s latest tourism products, trends and developments, while forging relationships and negotiating deals.
The conference was hosted in Oberammergau for the first time in its history. But the reason for hosting this year was apparent: This village, which is on the cusp of snow-capped Alps, is home to the renowned Passion Play, which has been performed every decade since 1634 (except during world wars and during the most recent pandemic). After being postponed for two years, the traditional performance is back — and so are Germany’s international tourists.
Oberammergau and the 2022 Passion Play
GTM participants were given exclusive access to one of Oberammergau's Passion Play dress rehearsals before the 2022 season begins on May 14, running until Oct. 2. The show highlights the talents of more than 2,000 villagers (you have to be born in Oberammergau or be a resident for more than two decades for performance consideration) as they present the story of Jesus of Nazareth through choir song and acting.
The five-hour performance takes place in an imposing 4,500-seat open-air theater, the largest in the world. The play intends to give the world hope and strength, and international audiences have flocked to the village to absorb it for centuries.
Like everything, the pandemic has created challenges for the Passion Play performance. As of early May, only 75% of tickets have been sold for the 2022 season, while 90% were sold before the canceled 2020 season. This decline in sales is likely due to uncertainty in post-pandemic travel and the war in Ukraine; as of press time, 20,000 American travelers canceled their Passion Play tickets, citing these events as a primary concern. Still, the Passion Play attracts an average of 450,000 visitors each season, with more than half being international.
GTM Addresses Impact of the Pandemic and the Ukraine War
Of course, events currently dominating world headlines, namely the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, were of pre-eminent discussion throughout the conference.
After March 2020’s collapse in global tourism, the United Nations World Tourism Organization recorded a slight increase in international arrivals: 4.6% in 2021. In Germany's case, however, inbound tourism slowed at the beginning of 2021 because of its extended lockdown in the first half of the year. The lockdown's end brought an immediate surge in demand from European source markets and the U.S., in particular.
While the outbreak of war in Ukraine initially caused a fall in short-term bookings from non-European Union countries, after the first few weeks, the situation quickly stabilized again. There is now a more significant percentage of bookings from non-EU countries, even amidst the escalating violence. And while together Russia and Ukraine have accounted for around 530,000 overnight stays in Germany in 2021, this market share only falls to 1.7%. At the conference, experts noted that the rising cost of kerosene, used for jet fuel, may impede travelers during the upcoming holiday season.
The Future of German Tourism
Germany's leitmotif for 2022, the year of the restart following a pandemic pause in travel, is, fittingly, "embracing German nature." While air travel has decreased by 5% over the last year, there has been a 14% increase in rail travel. Additionally, e-mobility is significantly increasing within Germany, a change Petra Hedorfer, chief executive officer of GNTB, notes is a positive development for sustainability.
Hedorfer also shared that the most in-demand German travels are sun and beach holidays, closely followed by nature, culture, and city vacations, which complement the country's tourism initiatives. She said that nature is Germany's most significant capital, so there remains a focus on sustainability and conservation.
Despite a brief period of uncertainty immediately after the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the desire to travel remains high among Europeans, as does interest in Germany as a travel destination.
"After two challenging years of the coronavirus pandemic, global tourism looks poised for a period of recovery," Hedorfer said. "Despite a brief period of uncertainty immediately after the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the desire to travel remains high among Europeans, as does interest in Germany as a travel destination.”
According to the GNTB Industry Expert Panel from April 2022, a survey of top decision-makers in the international travel trade, 32% of respondents feel optimistic about the levels of bookings to Germany, twice as many as in January this year. More than half (68%) even anticipate growth in their German tourism business in the next six months.
As GTM made clear, Germany's tourism providers have spent a great deal of time and effort creating innovative products and sustainable offerings to ensure that the restart of tourism to the country is a success.
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German National Tourist Board
