Direct flights, diverse offerings for GCC

The German National Tourist Office GCC announced that GCC visitors to Germany have grown steadily to over 489,689 in 2024, a steady year-on-year increase of 1.2% and an impressive 21% increase when compared with the total number of visitors in 2022. These figures underscore Germany’s increasing post-pandemic popularity with GCC visitors.

TT Bureau

GCC visitors to Germany have grown steadily to over 489,689 in 2024, a steady year-on-year increase of 1.2 per cent and an impressive 21 per cent increase when compared with the total number of visitors in 2022. The overnight stays by GCC visitor in Germany have also increased by 1.2 million, according to the German National Tourist Office GCC (GNTO GCC), an affiliate of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB).

Yamina Sofo, Director, GNTO GCC, said, “We have now witnessed considerable growth in visitor numbers from the GCC countries since the end of the pandemic. These figures underscore Germany’s increasing post-pandemic popularity with GCC visitors and bodes well for 2025. With direct flights from the GCC countries to Munich, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Hannover, Stuttgart, Cologne and Hamburg, this year we want to encourage GCC residents to visit Germany and experience our diverse year-round tourism offering.”

Luis Monreal, Senior Director Sales Middle East, Lufthansa Group Airlines, said: “Lufthansa Group is proud to team up this year with the DZT (GNTB) as their official carrier. We connect the GCC with Germany non-stop since 1960 with its flights to Saudi Arabia. Lufthansa and Eurowings both offer German hospitality to our passengers on board. Lufthansa, as a premium carrier, offers stable and year-round connections to Frankfurt and Munich from Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam.”

Monreal added, “Our value-airline Eurowings is expanding substantially since 2023 in the GCC by offering more direct connections to other German destinations, such as Berlin, Stuttgart, Cologne and Hanover.”  They meet their GCC customers much closer to their homes, as they offer departures also from Dubai World, Abu Dhabi and Jeddah. “The strong increase in demand for these new routes show that we cater to the need to reach different cities in all parts of Germany. Starting from October 2025, the Lufthansa Group airlines will offer over 120 connections per week between the GCC and Germany,” said Monreal.