Germany, new tourism record: overnight stays 2024 at +1.9%, accelerating in December

Germany’s tourism industry set a new record in 2024, reaching 496.1 million overnight stays: +1,9% compared to 2023. Albeit slightly, the results for 2019 also improved (+0.1% compared to the pre-covid year), which confirms the full recovery of German tourism after the health crisis. According to preliminary results from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), accommodation facilities recorded a 1.9% increase in overnight stays compared to 2023.

This growth is primarily driven by domestic tourism, while overnight stays by international guests remain below pre-pandemic levels. Destatis data shows that domestic guests accounted for 410.8 million overnight stays, reflecting a 1.1% increase from 2023 (and a 1.3% rise from 2019). Meanwhile, overnight stays by foreign visitors reached 85.3 million, 5.4% higher than in 2023 but still 5.1% below 2019 levels. The share of international guests in total overnight stays was 17.2%, up from 16.6% in 2023 but still below the record 18.1% in 2019.

Significant growth in campsites

Looking at different types of accommodations, campsites saw the most significant growth compared to 2019. Overnight stays in campsites increased by 19.9% from pre-pandemic levels and by 1.4% compared to 2023, confirming the rising popularity of outdoor vacations within the tourism industry.

Vacation rentals also performed well, with a 2.6% increase compared to 2019 and a 1.8% rise from 2023. Meanwhile, the hotel sector, although recovering, is still slightly below pre-pandemic levels (-2.2% compared to 2019), despite a 2% increase from 2023.

Another notable statistic comes from December 2024, when Germany’s tourism sector achieved an impressive performance. Accommodation facilities recorded 31 million overnight stays by both domestic and international guests, marking a 3.6% increase compared to December 2023 (+0.3% compared to December 2019).

Breaking down the numbers, domestic overnight stays increased by 3% year-on-year, reaching 24.6 million in December 2024, while overnight stays by foreign visitors rose by 6% to 6.4 million. Compared to December 2019, domestic overnight stays were up by 0.5% in December 2024, while international overnight stays grew by 0.3%.