German tourism officials are bullish on a return to tourism in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and hope to start a soft opening this year.
Germany is a top-three European destination for travelers from the United States. However, unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic heavily reduced the number of visitors.
In 2020, Germany saw 1.5 million overnight visitors from the United States, down 78.7 percent. The country saw 32 million international overnights in 2020, down 64.4 percent from a year earlier.
The country remains largely closed and tourism officials and unsure when it will reopen to international visitors. Airlines offer a combined 146 weekly flights to Germany from 16 airports in the United States.
German tourism officials are positioning the country as a safe destination in 2021, hoping to lure post-pandemic travelers.