Germany by the numbers

Select partners of the German National Tourist Office came together to showcase the diverse offerings of the country at a special event on Apr. 13, during a time when the 25th anniversary of the country's reunification is front and centre of promotional efforts.

Joining Antje Splettstoesser, director of marketing & sales in Canada for the GNTO and her colleague Carina Schumacher, manager public relations, were: Angela Geissler, account director North America, Munich Airport; Wolfgang Gärtner, head of international marketing, Saxony Tourism; Susan Rienitz, sales representative, Bremerhaven Tourist Board; Nicole-Joy Henzler, head of sales/market research, Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH; Steffi Gretschel, head of international PR tourism/sales manager USA, Southwest Europe, Leipzig Tourism and Marketing; Stefan M. Kopp, senior manager, Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport; and Birgit Albicker, director international sales, Steigenberger Hotel Group.

It became clear throughout individual presentations that the reunification is not the only milestone being celebrated this year, with many other festivals and anniversaries brought to the forefront.

Here is a look at Germany by the numbers in 2015 & 2016:

Saxony:

• Dresden's Church of Our Lady is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the reopening (2015), while George Bahr will mark its 350th birthday (2016)
• This is the 800th anniversary of the Holy Cross Boys Choir (2016)
• Albrechtsburg Castle will host an exhibition titled, "1,000 Years of Beer in Saxony" 

Leipzig:

• Outside of Germany, it is little known that Leipzig was where the Peaceful Revolution began, as 70,000 people demonstrated against the GDR regime. A special Festival of Lights will commemorate the historic event on Oct. 9, 2015
• 850 is the magic number for Leipzig in 2015: 850 years of market right and municipal law, 850 Years of St. Nicholas and 850 Years of Leipzig Fairs
• This city of music offers a music trail with 23 authentic sites of Bach, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Wagner, Grieg etc. 

Frankfurt Airport:

• A true hub to the rest of Europe, the Frankfurt Airport is only 12 minutes away from the city's downtown core (by train)
• Visitors can also travel to Wiesbaden/Mainz by train in less than 35 minutes, 40 minutes to the Rhine, Cologne Cathedral in 50 minutes, or Heidelberg Castle in just over one hour 

Steigenberger Hotel Group:

• 2015 marks 85 years of Steigenberger
• This German hotel group has 73 properties within the country and continues its global expansion, now with 90 hotels on three continents, with 17 more in construction or under development
• Jaz in the City is the group's newest brand (adding to InterCity Hotel and Steigenberger), which is a lifestyle boutique concept, with its first opening scheduled to take place in Amsterdam in September 2015 

Stuttgart:

• Founded in the 10th century, the city of Stuttgart is known for its prestigious cultural events and festivals, 14 of which are taking place between 2015 and 2016
• The city of Stuttgart’s German Open Championships, the world’s biggest dance festival with more than 2,000 couples participating in a tournament lasting five days
• The Stuttgarter Weindorf, a ‘wine village’ featuring more than 250 quality wines and culinary specialties of the Swabian region lasts for 12 days, and is nearly 40 years old
• Dating as far back as 1692, the Stuttgart Christmas Market is the annual home of over 280 decorated stands serving holiday decorations, roasted chestnuts and mulled wine to more than three million visitors each year 

Munich Airport:

• There are 28 weekly departures from Canada to Munich Airport, mainly from YYZ and YUL, plus YVR in the summer months
• Skytrax named this hub the 3rd Best Airport Worldwide by Skytrax in 2015, World's Best Airport Serving 30-40 million Passengers, and Europe's Best Airport
• Munich airport has two terminals, plus two onsite hotels: the Hilton and Novotel
• A satellite passenger terminal with additional passenger volume of 11 million is planned to open in 2016 

Bremen & Bremerhaven:

• The two sister cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven lie within 16km of each other, and together are the smallest of Germany’s 16 states
• Bremerhaven was founded in 1827, making it 188 years old
• With a long history as a trade port, the sister cities host Sail Bremerhaven every five years, a sailing convention that has twice set the records for the largest parade of boats (327 vessels in 2011, beat out by 1,000 boats in 2012) 

PHOTO: Angela Geissler, account director North America, Munich Airport; Wolfgang Gärtner, head of international marketing, Saxony Tourism; Susan Rienitz, sales representative, Bremerhaven Tourist Board; Antje Splettstoesser, director, marketing and sales office Canada, German National Tourist Office; Nicole-Joy Henzler, head of sales/market research, Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH; Steffi Gretschel, head of international PR tourism | sales manager USA, Southwest Europe, Leipzig Tourism and Marketing; Stefan M. Kopp, senior manager, Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport; Birgit Albicker, director international sales, Steigenberger Hotel Group.