Culture, luxury, sustainability and stronger connectivity shape Germany’s vision for travellers from the Gulf
DUBAI — September 2026
Germany is reinforcing its position as one of Europe’s leading destinations for travellers from the Gulf Cooperation Council, presenting a strategy built around culture, premium travel, sustainability and enhanced connectivity during Arabian Travel Market 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
At a press conference held on the opening day of ATM 2026, the German National Tourist Office GCC (GNTO GCC) revealed that travellers from GCC countries generated 1.2 million overnight stays in Germany in 2025, representing a 9% increase compared with 2022.
Their economic impact is equally significant. GCC travellers spent a combined €3 billion in Germany in 2025, with expenditure per trip and per person more than 30% higher than the average among overseas visitors.
The figures place the GCC among Germany’s most strategically important international tourism markets.
A resilient relationship between Germany and the Gulf
Speaking during ATM 2026, Yamina Sofo, Director of the Marketing & Sales Office – GNTO GCC, highlighted the steady development of tourism flows between the Gulf and Germany.
While the beginning of 2026 showed further positive momentum — with January overnight stays rising by 4.7% to 68,455 — travel during the remainder of the first half of the year was affected by disruption to air traffic across the Gulf.
Despite this temporary moderation, GNTO emphasised the continued resilience of demand and Germany’s long-term appeal to travellers from the region.
The GCC remains Germany’s third-strongest overseas tourism market, reinforcing the importance of direct connectivity, premium hospitality and culturally informed travel experiences.
Munich Airport expands its Middle East gateway
A major element of Germany’s growing focus on the Gulf is the expansion of Munich Airport, which is strengthening its role as an international gateway to Bavaria and the rest of Germany.
The airport’s new 95,000-square-metre Terminal 1 Pier has been designed with international travellers — including guests from the Middle East — firmly in mind.
The facility will have capacity for up to six million additional passengers and is set to become the primary home for airlines operating between Munich and the region.
In 2025, approximately 1.6 million passengers travelled between Munich and the Gulf, accounting for 18% of all long-haul passenger traffic at Munich Airport.
Today, 15 airlines connect Munich with 15 destinations across ten countries in the MENA region.
The establishment of a new office of the Bavarian-Arab Society at Munich Airport further reflects this increasingly close relationship, offering a dedicated point of contact for Arab travellers while promoting cultural understanding and personalised support.
As Corinna Born, Director International Media Relations at Munich Airport, noted, the aim is not only to strengthen connectivity, but also hospitality and cultural ties between Germany and the Arab world, while positioning Germany and Bavaria for family, leisure, medical and luxury tourism.
Germany beyond one season
Germany’s tourism strategy for 2026 and 2027 presents the country not simply as a destination, but as a collection of experiences available throughout the year.
Sustainability, nature, urban culture, gastronomy and seasonal traditions form the foundations of several national campaigns.
Simply Feel Good places sustainable tourism initiatives in the spotlight, while Next Stop: Travel Destination Germany focuses on the diversity and contemporary character of German cities.
Culinary Germany turns attention to regional cuisine, fine dining and sustainable gastronomy.
For travellers searching for nature and slower forms of discovery, Family & Friends in Nature introduces Germany’s hiking and cycling trails, national parks and outdoor landscapes.
And as winter approaches, Season’s Greetings from Germany celebrates perhaps one of the country’s most internationally recognised traditions: its atmospheric Christmas markets and seasonal experiences.
Culture at the centre
For DESIGNER Magazine, one of the most compelling aspects of Germany’s coming tourism programme is its emphasis on cultural heritage.
Germany will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth, connecting contemporary tourism with one of Europe’s most influential musical traditions.
The cultural calendar becomes even more significant in 2027.
BTHVN 2027 will commemorate 200 years since the death of Ludwig van Beethoven, while documenta 16 in Kassel will once again position Germany at the centre of the international contemporary art conversation.
The International Garden Exhibition — IGA 2027 — in the Ruhr region will bring together gardens, nature, culture and sustainable urban development, illustrating how tourism increasingly intersects with architecture, environmental responsibility and future-oriented city planning.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate a tourism philosophy in which heritage and innovation are not competing ideas, but complementary parts of the same identity.
A destination shaped by contemporary luxury
Luxury travel itself is changing.
For today’s international traveller, luxury is no longer defined exclusively by hotels, shopping or private services. Increasingly, it is about access: access to culture, history, nature, gastronomy, meaningful experiences and places with a distinctive identity.
Germany’s presentation at ATM 2026 reflects precisely this evolution.
Its appeal to the Gulf market combines sophisticated urban destinations with historic cities, luxury retail, medical and wellness travel, cultural institutions, gastronomy and some of Europe’s most recognisable natural landscapes.
At the same time, improved air connectivity and greater attention to the needs of Arab visitors are making the journey increasingly seamless.
Germany and the GCC: a relationship with room to grow
Arabian Travel Market remains one of the most important meeting points between the global travel industry and the rapidly evolving tourism markets of the Middle East.
Germany’s presence at ATM 2026 demonstrates that its ambitions in the Gulf extend well beyond short-term visitor numbers.
The strategy is about creating a deeper relationship — through connectivity, cultural understanding, sustainable tourism and experiences tailored to a new generation of international travellers.
And perhaps that is where Germany’s strongest proposition lies.
Not in presenting one single image of the country, but in allowing visitors to discover many Germanys at once: historic and contemporary, urban and natural, luxurious and sustainable, traditional and constantly evolving.
At a moment when travellers increasingly seek meaning alongside comfort, Germany is positioning itself as a destination where both can coexist.
Arabian Travel Market 2026 takes place from 14–17 September at Dubai World Trade Centre. The Germany stand is located in the Europe Hall, stand EU5150.
12.09.2026 Stockholm