Germany is looking to the GCC as an important source of visitors, with travellers from the region accounting for 1.2 million overnight stays in 2025, up 9% from 2022. GCC visitors also spent $3.5 billion (€3 billion) in Germany last year, with spending per trip and per person more than 30% higher than the average among overseas visitors.
The figures were announced at Arabian Travel Market 2026 in Dubai, where the German National Tourist Office showcased the country as a year-round destination, from its cities and cultural attractions to nature, gastronomy and seasonal experiences.
The GCC is currently Germany’s third-strongest overseas market. Overnight stays rose 4.7% in January 2026 to 68,455, although visitor numbers moderated during the first half of the year amid disruption to air traffic across the Gulf.
For travellers arriving via Bavaria, connectivity is also being strengthened at Munich Airport. Its new 95,000-square-metre Terminal 1 Pier is designed with Middle Eastern travellers in mind and can accommodate up to six million additional passengers. Around 1.6 million passengers travelled between Munich and the Gulf in 2025, while 15 airlines currently connect the airport with 15 destinations across 10 MENA countries.
Germany’s tourism campaigns for 2026 and 2027 will focus on sustainable travel, nature, urban culture, gastronomy and seasonal experiences. Cultural highlights include the 150th anniversary of the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth in 2026, followed in 2027 by BTHVN 2027, marking 200 years since Beethoven’s death, as well as documenta 16 in Kassel and IGA 2027 in the Ruhr region.
Together, the programme puts the focus on Germany beyond a single season, with experiences spanning culture, food, nature and the outdoors.
