Business tourism is a very important economic segment for Germany. Although a business traveller’s stay is not usually too long, his total expenditure during this period constitutes a significant part of the revenue for German tourism companies.
According to research conducted by the VRD Institute of Analyses, almost half of the expenditure on business travel is spent on travel (44%), followed by accommodation, which is spent every fourth euro (24%) and food (12.5%). The remaining expenses of the order are spent on car rental (8.5%) and other needs (11%). The structure of expenditures has changed in the last 5 years.
A business tourist spends on average twice as much for each day of stay as a holiday tourist.
A tourist travelling on business makes rational decisions about the means of transport he or she intends to use to reach his or her destination. In the case of foreign travel, the matter is clear – an airplane is necessary. Even within Germany alone, businessmen usually travel by car or train, with routes exceeding 400 km, aircraft becomes the only rational means of transport.
For example, in order to get from Munich to Berlin or Düsseldorf (approx. 600 km) quickly, it is best to use an airplane. Then the total flight and check-in time is 3 hours. Travelling by train over this distance takes 5.5 hours and by car 6.5 hours. In turn, to travel from Munich to Frankfurt am Main (approx. 400 km), the journey by plane and train takes the same amount of time (3 hours), but by choosing an ICE express, you do not waste your check-in time.
When it comes to moving around the city it is very popular to rent mini buses, often also with a driver. As a rule, at least a few people from the company go to fairs and conferences. This is therefore extremely practical. Renting a minibus in Munich, for example, starts at 138 euros. One of the popular companies that offer minibus hire is Chauffeurservice Munich, and you can see the offer of minibus hire on: https://www.chauffeurservice-munich.com/kleinbus-muenchen/.
The most popular air carriers in German business tourism include Lufthansa, Air Berlin and Germanwings. For business travel abroad, businessmen prefer to use the services of Lufthansa, Air France/KLM, Air Berlin, British Airways, Swiss, Emirates or SAS. Airlines are increasingly appreciating this segment of the market, fighting for business customers and offering new amenities.
German cities are also visited by foreign businessmen, one in two of whom visit the country as part of a traditional, classic business trip. Every fifth of these foreign tourists participate in fairs and exhibitions, and every fourth takes part in congresses and symposia. Only for every twentieth business traveller Germany is a destination for motivational travel. A total of 10.4 million foreign, European business trips to Germany were recorded last year. The number of trips from non-European countries amounted to 1.4 million.
Every third European business traveller arriving in Germany comes from Eastern Europe, which means that the market in this part of Europe is ahead of its Mediterranean partners (26%) as well as Western Europe (25%) and Southern Europe (19%).
Germany, as a reception market for business tourism, is an unrivalled tycoon in terms of the number of congresses, conventions and symposia, as well as trade fair and exhibition events. In 2008 314 million participants took part in 2.8 million congresses, fairs, presentations, exhibitions in which 6200 hotels, congress and fair centres and other institutions of this type were involved. Thus, Germany is ranked 2nd in the world in the USA in the classification of activities related to the organization of events in the broadly understood business tourism sector.
The most popular business destinations for many years have been mainly trade fair cities and financial and industrial centres such as Berlin (20%), Munich (20%), Hamburg (12%), Frankfurt (10%), Cologne (10%) and Düsseldorf (10%). There are more than 20,000 hotels in Germany, of which approximately 8,000 are classified, of which 60% are 3-star and 27% are 4-star hotels.
The most popular brands and hotel chains include: Accor, NH Hotels, InterContinental, Best Western, Maritim and Steigenberger in business tourism within Germany and Accor, Marriott, InterContinental, Hilton, Starwood and Hyatt for business trips abroad.