Berlin tourism missed the 30 million overnight stay mark in 2025. This was a change from the strong recovery seen in 2024. Visit Berlin released the official figures. The German capital recorded 29.4 million overnight stays and 12.4 million guests. These numbers dropped compared to 2024. That year, Berlin hosted 12.7 million guests for 30.6 million overnight stays.
The results are below the 2019 record. That was the last full year before the pandemic. At that time, nearly 14 million tourists made more than 34 million overnight stays in hotels and other accommodations.
Visit Berlin CEO Burkhard Kieker remained positive even with the lower numbers. He pointed to Berlin's rank in Europe. The city stays in the top five tourism destinations. Berlin does well with solo travelers. Only Dublin ranks higher in that category. Kieker and other experts noted the importance of trade fairs and congresses. Major events bring in visitors. They want more promotion for these events to help future growth.
The outlook for 2026 is promising. The year will include big trade fairs like ILA, the top aerospace exhibition, and InnoTrans, which focuses on transport technology. These events happen in even-numbered years. They bring large international crowds to Berlin. The city will also celebrate its 800th anniversary in 2037. This event could help tourism in the next decade.
Berlin ranks behind London and Paris for total visitors in Europe. It ranks ahead of Rome. Many industry experts hope the capital will beat Dublin for solo travelers.
Visitor Origins: A Mixed Picture
Domestic tourism led the market in 2025. German visitors made more than 17.3 million overnight stays. This was 58.9 percent of the total. The top international markets included:
- United States: nearly 1.28 million overnight stays
- Great Britain: 1.27 million overnight stays
- Netherlands: more than 780,000 overnight stays
These top markets dropped compared to 2024. The Netherlands had the biggest fall of over 15 percent. Several new markets grew:
- Turkey: more than 260,000 overnight stays (+8.5%)
- China: nearly 233,000 overnight stays (+14.4%)
- Israel: more than 230,000 overnight stays (+9.5%)
These gains show changes in global travel. They point to chances for specific marketing.
National Comparison: Berlin Lags Behind Peers
Berlin leads tourism volume within Germany. It stays ahead of Munich (19.7 million overnight stays) and Hamburg. But Munich and Hamburg have recovered to the 2019 levels or higher. Those cities saw flat numbers or small growth in 2025. Berlin had a clear drop. Experts say general consumer caution does not explain this difference. They point to local challenges in Berlin.
Sharp Criticism: Connectivity and Infrastructure
Kieker criticized the federal government and Lufthansa. He said they hurt Berlin and eastern Germany regarding air connectivity. He noted that Lufthansa flies mostly from western hubs like Frankfurt and Munich. They send long-haul passengers there instead of to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER).
