2023 was the second best year for tourism in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania

Jochen Schulte, State Secretary for Economics, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, who was attending ITB Berlin 2024, stated that he was extremely satisfied with the previous business year: “We have emerged from the crisis and are delighted to report increases in all areas.” In 2023 the state in northern Germany recorded 32.2 million overnights (a 1.2 per cent increase) and is increasingly becoming a year-round destination, according to Schulte. At 7.7.million the total number of arrivals was 4.4 per cent higher than in the previous year. With these figures tourism in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania continues to approach the record set in 2019, while the number of visitor arrivals in 2023 fell short by 8.3 per cent, and by 5.7 per cent in the case of overnights. However, during the year the records set in 2019 were exceeded in the months of May and September, both in the number of visitors (by 2.5 and 7.9 per cent respectively) and in overnight figures (by 8.3 and 2.8 per cent respectively).

For visitors from abroad the tourism sector reported positive developments, with 336,000 visitors (+ 17.8 per cent) booking 908,000 overnights (an increase of 18.1 per cent). The largest contingent of foreign visitors, some 143,000, came from the Netherlands, ahead of those from Switzerland and Denmark, at around 135,000 and 105,000 overnights respectively. “There is still some room for expansion in incoming tourism”, concluded Schulte. Tourism promotion for Mecklenburg-West Pomerania is therefore being stepped up in the source markets of Scandinavia, the Netherlands, the Alpine countries and Poland, with the aim of making this state better known internationally.

Birgit Hesse, president of the state parliament and of the Mecklenburg-West Pomeranian Tourism Association, also emphasised that, above all, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania epitomises quality. In addition to numerous activities commemorating Caspar David Friedrich, the Day of German Unity is also an opportunity to present Mecklenburg-West Pomerania from its best side. A colourful pubic festival is planned for the period 3 to 4 October to mark the Presidency of the Federal Assembly in Schwerin.