This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.
Last Published: 8/30/2019

Overview

Travel and tourism is the second-largest export industry in the United States and the largest service sector export. Every 63 visitors to the U.S. will create one new U.S job. For 2019, the National Tourism and Travel Organization (NNTO) forecasts a total of 81 million international visitors to the United States and 2.1 million visitors from Germany, accounting for 2.6 percent of international arrivals. Germany is currently ranked 7th worldwide in terms of visitors per year, making it a profoundly important market for the United States.
 
The majority of German visitors to the United States book their travel through German tour operators and/or travel agencies, thus lending to the protection of German consumer travel protection laws safeguarding their holiday investment. German visitors plan ahead and book early. Typically, they stay longer and spend more money than domestic visitors.
The U.S. Travel Association estimates that spending by international travelers to the United States in 2018 reached USD 256 billion and supported 1.2 million of the 8.9 million American jobs in the tourism industry either directly or indirectly. (This includes passenger fares on U.S. carriers by international travelers to the United States.) In 2017, German visitors to the United States spent a total of USD 8.25 billion (ranked 10th worldwide and 2nd after the UK in Europe).

Leading Sub-Sectors

Leisure travel, business travel, fly-drive and individual packages are the leading sub-sectors for the Travel and Tourism industry. Germany also has an active MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and events) industry, however visas can be a limiting factor for U.S. travel.

Opportunities

Promotion
Germany hosts the world’s largest travel show, ITB, making Germany a premier marketplace for U.S. tourism companies to reach their global partners and buyers. VUSA Germany (Visit USA Committee Germany e.V.), together with Brand USA, will promote the Visit the USA brand at 2 major consumer travel shows, 3 trade events, 2 media events, approximately 12 webinars, several networking events and online and in print. In addition, Brand USA will conduct familiarization trips to the U.S. for travel agents, promote their giant screen films on the U.S. National Park Service (as part of its great outdoors theme) and America’s Musical Journeys (as part of its music cultural theme), support culinary tourism events and continue its cooperative advertising campaign with major tour operators. The goal is to attract 2.1 million German visitors to the United States in 2019.

Policy Objectives and Challenges
Policies in the German and European markets for travel to the United States such as flight access, visa waiver, ESTA, immigration issues, and drivers’ license issues could potentially cause challenges.
The Commerial Service will continue to follow the latest policy developments and discussions in Germany, led by trade organizations such as DRV (German Travel Agents and Tour Operator Association) and VUSA (Visit USA Committee Germany e.V.), and monitor travel related media coverage and report these back to NTTO so that U.S. clients are better positioned to maintain the 2.21 million visitor goal from Germany.

Trade Events
Reisen Hamburg
CMT Stuttgart
f.re.e Munich  
ITB Berlin  
IMEX Frankfurt
Travel Expo & FVW Congress Cologne (B2B fair)

Web Resources

Entry and visa regulations information:
U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Germany
DHS

Other:
Official site of the Visit USA Committee Germany
Brand USA’s consumer website in German
Consumer travel website on United States in German
German landing page for Recreation.Gov  

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.