ABSTRACT

Although internationally more renowned for its export industries, Germany is also an important tourism destination accounting for 166.8 million arrivals and 436.2 million overnight stays in 2015 (Destatis, 2016a). Together with an estimated amount of 2.95 billion day-trips (Harrer & Scherr, 2013) the tourism sector contributes directly to 4.4 percent of the gross value added (9.7 percent including indirect effects) supporting in total about 2.9 million jobs (BMWi & BTW, 2012). Incoming tourism in Germany has grown strongly in the last two decades increasing the share of overnights stays from 11 percent (1995) to 18.3 percent in 2015 (Destatis, 2016a). Incoming tourism concentrates on larger cities and cultural highlights situated in rural areas, e.g. Neuschwanstein Castle or the Romantic Road. Only a few nature-based tourism destinations attract a significant share of foreign visitors like Eifel, Sauerland or Schwarzwald due to their location close to the German border, as well as some destinations in the Alps (Kagermeier, 2016).