Berlin (dpa) - Germans wanderlust shows no sign of abating with the nations tourism sector expecting a record year, despite the series of crises gripping parts of the world. <\/p>\n
\"Everything indicates that 2015 will be an excellent travel year,\" the president of the Federation of the German Tourism Industry, Michael Frenzel, said on Tuesday ahead of the opening of the annual travel fair ITB in Berlin. <\/p>\n
The association is expecting revenue to grow by between 1.5 and 2 per cent in the coming months as a solid jobs market, rising wages, low interest rates and a high propensity to spend allows Germans to lay aside worries about crises such as in Greece and Ukraine. <\/p>\n
\"The Germans already have their bags packed for the new travel season,\" said Norbert Fiebig, the president of Germanys Travel Associations. \"They are ready to spend more on vacation.\" <\/p>\n
Often considered the worlds travel champions, German bookings for the all-important summer holiday period are already 5 per cent up on last year, in particular for destinations such North Africa, the Caribbean, Sri Lanka and Greece, where bookings have surged by 17.2 per cent. <\/p>\n
This is good news for cash-strapped Greece, which needs a robust summer travel season to help its economy get back on its feet and to ward off the threat of a major crisis that could ultimately force it to exit the eurozone. <\/p>\n
More than 10,000 exhibitors from 186 nations are expected to attend this years ITB, which opens its doors on Wednesday for industry representatives. The travel fair, the worlds biggest and now in its 49th year, is open to the general public on March 7 and 8. <\/p>\n
The ITBs partner country this year is Mongolia, whose president Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj travelled to Berlin for the fairs opening. <\/p>\n
At a press conference in Berlin, Elbegdorj joined Chancellor Angela Merkel in calling for Germanys flag carrier Lufthansa and Mongolian Airlines to step up their relationship to boost economic as well as travel ties between their two nations. <\/p>\n
\"The Mongolian airline connection to Europe is very important because Mongolia does not have direct access to sea,\" Elbegdorj said. \"We wish to keep working with Lufthansa.\" <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
See the article here:<\/p>\n
Germans shrug off global crises to remain world travel champions<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Berlin (dpa) - Germans wanderlust shows no sign of abating with the nations tourism sector expecting a record year, despite the series of crises gripping parts of the world. \"Everything indicates that 2015 will be an excellent travel year,\" the president of the Federation of the German Tourism Industry, Michael Frenzel, said on Tuesday ahead of the opening of the annual travel fair ITB in Berlin Continue reading