Germany continues to stand among Europe’s top travel destinations. According to Destatis, the country registered 387.7 million overnight stays in the first nine months of 2025 — a slight increase from the 387.6 million recorded during the same period in 2024.
Domestic tourism rose by 0.6%, reaching 323.4 million stays, while overnights by international guests fell by 2.9% to 64.3 million.
Domestic growth, foreign slowdown
In September, Germany recorded 48.6 million overnight stays, up 1% year-over-year.
Domestic stays rose 1.4% to 40.8 million, but foreign visits declined 1.2% to 7.8 million.
The downturn stems mainly from a drop in visitors from the United States, traditionally Germany’s largest inbound market.
Between January and August, 1.96 million arrivals from the U.S. were recorded — a 3.2% decrease year-on-year.
Causes and outlook
The German National Tourist Board (DZT) attributes the decline to economic factors, including reduced consumer confidence in the U.S. and an unfavorable exchange rate making European travel more expensive.
DZT CEO Petra Hedorfer also noted that high airspace fees could be discouraging some long-haul travelers.
However, early booking data suggests a slight recovery in demand for late 2025 and early 2026.