Daily 12 March/März - ITB Berlin

X Friday 12 March ITB Berlin English Daily 2010
Danube Tourism Commission to improve cycling and hiking
The Danube Tourism Commission (DTC) will lobby to upgrade facilities for cyclists along
the Danube, following the publication of a survey of the Danube Cycling Route, jointly
undertaken with the Austrian Government, which revealed that parts of the route are
inadequate for tourists’ needs. Although the section between Germany and Hungary is
largely of an acceptable standard, further downstream – from Hungary to Romania and
Bulgaria – some sections lack dedicated cycle paths and proper signage, the survey said.
An EU project paper has now been published to improve the route from its source to
the Danube Delta, and this will provide a basis for potential support programmes, says
the DTC.
Meanwhile, work will be completed this year on the Donausteig, a 450-kilometre hiking
trail in Upper Austria. Running parallel to the Danube between Passau and Grein, it
consists of 40 different Danube circuit trails and 70 inns and restaurants. The official
opening will be in 2011.
New landmark for Hamburg in 2011
Hamburg will get a new iconic landmark in the autumn of 2011 when a major new
cultural complex, the Elbe Philharmonie, opens. Created from existing warehouses, and
covered by a giant glass structure, the €241 million complex will consist of a major
concert hall with 2,150 seats plus two smaller halls, an open plaza with restaurants,
cafes and a museum, 45 residential apartments and a five-star hotel which will feature a
conference centre and spa. With a stunning location overlooking the Elbe, the complex
is likely to become a major attraction for tourists, say Hamburg’s tourism authorities.
Hamburg remains one of Germany’s favourite destinations; in the first ten months of
2009, the city bucked the general downward trend in Europe and recorded a 5.9%
growth in overnights in hotels and a 5.6% growth in total arrivals compared with the
same period of 2008. The city attracted 3.7 million visitors during the ten-month period,
including 670,000 million international visitors (+3.3%). Switzerland, France and Spain
were among Hamburg’s major markets, recording increases of between 11% and 16%.
Swiss and Austrian resorts rank among top ten Alpine destinations
The most successful resorts in the Alps are located either in Switzerland or Austria,
according to a new study from BAKBASEL Economics AG. Commissioned by the Swiss
Federal Secretary for Economic Affairs, the study’s criteria are calculated from market
share, occupancy rate in hotels and average room rate. Success factors include efficient
use of existing capacity, steady growth of hotels’ market share versus other types of
accommodation, and a favourable price structure. Other evaluation criteria are
integrated in the rankings, such as the destination’s authenticity, quality of service,
activities on offer, and competitive pricing.
Top of the ranking is the Austrian resort of Grossarltal (Saltzburg), followed by Zermatt
(Switzerland), Kleinwalsertal (Austria), Lucerne (Switzerland) and Rennweg (Austria). If
just the winter season is taken into consideration, the five most successful resort destinations
are all in Austria – Lech-Zürs (Voralberg), Obertauern (Salzburg), Rennweg