GNTO extends open invitation to explore German culinary spread, excellence of cuisines

New Delhi, 08 April 2022:  Germany is an increasingly multi-cultural country. For Indians, in particular, Germany is inviting because of the easy availability of vegetarian and vegan food, whether it’s cutter plaice in Hamburg, cucumber salad with dill in Berlin or spicy vegan sausage in Munich, regional delicacies taste particularly good in the native country.

Mentioning a culinary trip to Germany, The German National Tourist Office, India hosted its Press event on the 8th of April at Hyatt Regency Delhi as part of the global campaign German.Local.Culture to promote itself as a culinary destination to various press personals with a mix of influencers/bloggers and travel trade journalists and freelancers. The event showcased a combination of artisan craft, culinary excellence and warm, genuine hospitality to inspire potential visitors to Germany. The Press event also saw participation from visitBerlin highlighting the city and it’s gastronomy.

The event was media-managed and curated by Rupali Dean, Travel , Lifestyle & Food Columnist.

German cuisine is as diverse as its scenery, traditional recipes and specialities, regional products, creative chefs – it is a combination of the old and the new, which makes a culinary gourmet tour through Germany so exciting. There is something for everyone. In the wake of the tourism sector emerging from its most challenging years, Indian tourists are increasingly looking at Germany as a preferred travel destination

This is also reflected in the way that restaurants, cafés and hoteliers have met the particular challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic: hygiene measures, expanded outdoor eating areas, innovative seating arrangements that allow for social distancing and screen protection have all become incorporated as standard into service concepts. Germany offers a wealth of choice when it comes to food and drink: from vineyard visits to guided tours of more than 1,500 regional breweries all the way to fine dining at around 300 Michelin-starred restaurants.

Romit Theophilus, Director, Sales & Marketing, (India), GNTO said ‘‘there has been a increase in enquiries from Indian travellers for Germany. This is not only because of the plethora of activities available in the scenic country like adventure, sports, culture, food but also because of the multiple experiences it offers for all types of travellers be it solos, couples, families as well as the business travellers“.

The German cuisine includes a huge variety of appetizing dishes from regions like Havelland which is known for its palaces and parks, and its churches and abbeys. But in the village of Ribbeck, (almost) everything still revolves around the pear. Here, the fruit is transformed into specialities such as Havelwasser (a mix of pear juice and wine), Eierbirne (pear-flavoured egg liqueur) and Williams Christ pear brandy.

Or the Larks from Leipzig, when hunting songbirds for food was outlawed in Leipzig in the 19th century, bakers invented a vegetarian alternative for this festive treat. Leipziger Lerche, or Leipzig lark, is made of shortcrust pastry, almonds, nuts and strips of marzipan. To this day, it can only be found in the local area.

The Press event in New Delhi, facilitated interactions between the Indian Press and GNTO, India Team on latest highlights and attractions for the Indian travelers along with a master class and sit-down German luncheon with a mixology session for its audience.

Further information on the ‘Taste’ theme can be found here: https://www.germany.travel/en/campaign/german-local-culture/flavour.html

Background

The international marketing of Destination Germany is based on the two pillars of the brand core “Cities & Culture” and “Nature & Recreation. Sustainability and accessibility are firmly anchored in the brand core as overarching facets. According to analyses conducted by IPK International on behalf of the GNTB, city breaks (59 per cent), round trips (34 per cent) and nature-oriented vacations (30 per cent) are at the top of the ranking of the types of vacation planned by people interested in German vacations worldwide.

About the GNTB

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) is Germany’s national tourism organisation. It works on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action to represent Germany as a tourist destination and is funded by the Ministry in accordance with a decision taken by the German Bundestag. Working closely with the German travel industry and private-sector partners and trade associations, the GNTB develops strategies and marketing campaigns to promote Germany’s positive image abroad as a tourist destination and to encourage tourists to visit the country.

The GNTB has a three-pronged recovery strategy for overcoming the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic:

– Raising awareness of the Destination Germany brand and enhancing the brand profile

– Supporting the travel industry, which is dominated by small and medium-sized businesses, through relationship management and the sharing of knowledge

– Developing evidence-based action plans based on targeted market research and ongoing analysis of the impact of coronavirus.

During lockdown, GNTB used countercyclical marketing to maintain dialogue with customers, reflect changing preferences in its communications, and show empathy and provide inspiration.

Focus on digitalization and sustainability

The GNTB promotes forward-looking and sustainable tourism in line with the objectives of the German government. The focus here is on digitalization and sustainability. The GNTB is a pioneer when it comes to using immersive technologies (virtual, augmented, and mixed reality), voice assistants and other conversational interfaces, and artificial intelligence applications such as chatbots. To ensure that tourism offerings are visible on AI-based marketing platforms, the GNTB coordinates the German tourism industry’s open-data project, which aims to develop a tourism knowledge graph.

Sustainability has been a core overarching topic for more than a decade and we engage with it as a strategic issue across all areas of the organization. Our organisation follows a three-pillar strategy that combines the sharing of knowledge with external partners and a supporting communications strategy with our internal sustainability initiative. The GNTB promotes responsible tourism, a key growth area, by showcasing Germany as a sustainable and inclusive destination in the international travel market. This is particularly important as the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the global shift in travellers’ values towards greater social and environmental responsibility.

The GNTB maintains 27 country offices and manages them from its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main.