5 things I learned at the GTM

Earlier in May, I travelled to the state of Thuringia for the 2015 German Travel Mart, a trade event that brought together more than 600 tourism professionals and 340 German exhibitors from 45 countries for three days of tours, presentations and international shop talk.

If you followed PAX during my trip, it’s likely that you became aware of how new to the world of travel I really am (particularly if you paid attention to the wide-eyed-with-wonder look I had in most posts). Although it’s true I had a lot of fun, I learned a lot as well.

Below are a few things I discovered during my time both in and around the German Travel Mart.

1. Germany is working very hard to become barrier-free

Many German companies are making an effort to increase accessibility in and around the country, so its beauty can be enjoyed by all. The German National Tourist Board has partnered with Barrier-free Destinations in Germany, an organization that develops inclusive packages for visitors with restricted mobility, as well as for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or partially-sighted. They currently have eight barrier-free regions across Germany, and a map that provides details on all accessible parks and attractions. For more info, click here.​

2. Canada loves Germany

There must be something in the klösse. According to figures provided by the Germany National Tourist Board, Canadians represented 666,034 of the 7,775,053 international overnight stays from the Americas in 2014. Although the many areas of Europe remain Germany's biggest source of tourism, visits from Canada and the U.S. have seen an increase of 8.2 per cent in 2014. Germany is currently predicting it will see 121.5 million tourists by 2030.

3. Thuringia’s cultural heritage is out of control

Germany has recently been promoting its 500th anniversary of the Reformation with its historical icon, Martin Luther, (who translated the Bible from Greek to German and, historians will argue, heavily influenced the development of the German language), but if religious translation and the development of middle-age politics isn’t your style, you’ll be glad to know that Thuringia also housed the likes of Johann Sebastian Bach, who spent half his life in Weimar, working as a musician for the then-Duke, Carl August. Weimar was also the birthplace of Bauhaus (founded in 1919), the most modern design school of its time specializing in modern architecture. Interestingly, Weimar’s cultural background is so significant that Adolf Hitler, himself an art enthusiast, spent much of his time during the Nazi regime in the town. 

4. Germany is green, and getting greener

More than 35 per cent of Germany is made up of biospheres and national parks. The country has 130 protected national landscapes, and 15 UNESCO reserves in addition to 104 nature parks. I was fortunate enough to visit one: Hainich National Park’s canopy walk, a wooden path starting at a 44-metre high treehouse and extending 530 metres throughout the park. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, 90 per cent of Hainich is untouched, in keeping with Germany's motto for national parks: "Let nature be nature."

5. The next few GTMs are going to be big

Given its commitment to nature preservation, culture and history, it’s no wonder that the upcoming Germany Travel Marts have been announced to feature the following themes:

2016 – Holidays in the Heart of Nature, to take place in Magdeburg

2017 – Luther 2017, 500 years since the Reformation, to take place in Nuremburg

2018 – Culinary Germany, location TBD

2019 – 100 years of the Bauhaus, location TBD

2020 – Beethoven’s 250th Anniversary, location TBD

Of course, these are just the highlights, crammed into a three-day conference, but being primarily excited for the wurst and the ice cream sundaes shaped to look like bowls of spaghetti (see picture) prior to my arrival, I learned enough to know now that Germany is about much, much more than food. Although full disclosure: that too, was incredible.