New Christmas app from the GNTB and Deutsche Bahn

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Christmas app from the GNTB and Deutsche Bahn

Christmas markets in Destination Germany combined in one app

New York, November 30, 2012 – The German National Tourist Board (GNTB), its long-standing partner Deutsche Bahn (DB) and 32 city partners have launched a Christmas app. Visitors to Destination Germany can use the app to discover the country’s Christmas markets and find out about opening hours, admission prices and highlights in the different towns and cities. Available now, the app is also packed with tips on Christmas shopping, typical customs and gifts, and on New Year’s Eve celebrations in Germany. The mobile app for Android http://bit.ly/UQXQgy and iOS devices http://bit.ly/SWliv4 is available in German, English, Dutch, French and Italian.

The app contains information about more than 50 Christmas markets in 32 German towns and cities. It is available from the GNTB store and its GNTB section offers direct access to content about towns and cities at www.germany.travel and to a Christmas film, which is available in a number of languages. More inspiration for the festive season can be found on the GNTB’s website at www.germany.travel/christmas. “The proportion of people using mobile devices to visit our website continues to increase and currently stands at 9.7 per cent. Of these people, 76 per cent use iOS devices (Apple) and around 20 per cent use Android devices to access our themed content, which is provided in 29 languages. We want to cater to these target groups by linking content more closely and making it mobile so that people can retrieve and use the information even when they are not connected to the internet,” said Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the GNTB.

Deutsche Bahn provides information about visiting the Christmas markets by train. Travel to city centre destinations and the loveliest Christmas markets costs from as little as €39 with the Europa-Spezial offer. Fast and convenient InterCityExpress services operate from many European capitals such as Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels several times a day. “We are delighted to have teamed up with the GNTB to offer an app for Germany’s internationally popular Christmas markets. Besides containing comprehensive information and tips on the Christmas markets, the app also provides details about travelling to them on DB trains,” explained Birgit Bohle, Chief Executive Officer of DB Vertrieb GmbH.

Travel to Germany, January to September 2012

Destination Germany on track for 4 million US overnights stays in 2012

New York, November 30, 2012 – Inbound travel to Germany increased significantly again in the first nine months of 2012. According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office, the number of overnight stays by US visitors from January to September 2012 rose by 3.9 per cent compared to the same period last year. During this period, a total of 3.787.961 overnight stays by US visitors were recorded in accommodation establishments with more than ten beds. “Destination Germany continues to be very popular with American visitors and excelled over the first three quarters of 2012,” stated Ricarda Lindner, Regional Director for the German National Tourist Office in the Americas.

Germany Celebrates Fairy Tales, Wagner and Modern Architecture in 2013

For 2013, Destination Germany expects to maintain its excellent numbers as many high profile events promise to make this year exceptional. Many exciting and historic events will take place as Germany celebrates 200 years of the Brothers Grimm and Richard Wagner as well as 150 years of modern architecture. Visitors planning their trip to Germany can coordinate a visit to the Wagner cities of Leipzig, Dresden and Bayreuth; travel along the German Fairy Tale Route running from Hanau in central Germany to Bremen in the north; or to the Erfurt-Weimar-Jena region where Henry van de Velde lived and worked.

About the GNTB

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It works on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) to represent Germany as a tourist destination and is funded by the Ministry in accordance with a decision taken by the German Bundestag. The GNTB develops and communicates strategies and products to promote Germany’s positive image abroad as a tourist destination and to encourage tourists to visit the country. It has 30 agencies around the world to support its activities. More information can be found in our online press centre atwww.germany.travel/presse.

Wibke Carter

Public Relations Manager North America

German National Tourist Office

122 East 42^nd Street, Suite 2000

New York, New York 10168-0072

+1 212-661-7200 ext. 223 or 212-661-7175

www.twitter.com/germanytourism

www.germany.travel