Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate
TOURISM agency visitBerlin is boosting ties with travel trade partners here and positioning Berlin as the gateway to central Europe.
Ralf Ostendorf, director market management, visitBerlin, said: “Berlin is easier to sell to Asian travellers when combined with Prague, Vienna and Budapest because central Europe is still regarded as (undiscovered) and is very interesting for travellers.”
Ostendorf concedes that while north Asia and South-east Asia are still small markets that only contributed 3.2 per cent of total arrivals in Berlin last year, there is a lot of potential for growth, particularly from China, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
He said: “We are taking it step by step, working with the local trade in Asia to understand market needs before reaching out to consumers. In a more mature market such as China, we are already (involved in) B2C activities and social media outreach.”
As well, visitBerlin hopes to increase the length of stay of Asian travellers, averaging three days presently, by promoting the city as a cultural attraction that is worth visiting any time of the year.
It is also banking on the opening of the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport to improve air connectivity between Berlin and Asia.
The project has however, been plagued by delays, and opening dates had been pushed back five times thus far, with 2H2017 given as the latest estimated opening period. Meanwhile, Frankfurt and Munich serve as gateways into Germany for longhaul flights from Asia.
A buyer, Abdul Rahman Mohamed, deputy general manager channel management at Mayflower Acme Tours based in Kuala Lumpur, said: “Germany is increasingly becoming a mono destination for corporate incentive travel where a visit to Berlin is a must.
“Leisure travellers from Malaysia travelling longhaul to Europe will always want to cover as many countries as possible, and our eight-day packages covering Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Budapest sell well.”
