NEW YORK CITY—The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has started the new year with the announcement of “Fascinating Nature Vacations in Germany,” its marketing theme for 2016. Worldwide marketing campaigns and trade activities will be centered on the 130 natural landscapes throughout Germany, including 16 national parks, 15 UNESCO protected biosphere reserves and more than 100 natural parks.
Petra Hedorfer, CEO of the GNTB, revealed that 2.6 million Europeans have traveled to Germany for nature vacations. This makes Germany, next to France and Austria, the most popular worldwide nature destination amongst Europeans. More than one-third of Germany consists of protected natural sites, and the country’s consistent and responsible treatment of the environment is another reason for the GNTB to position Germany as a sustainable travel destination.
“Fascinating Nature Vacations in Germany” is an online campaign with several elements, starting with the enhancement of the homepage www.germany.travel/natur. Comprehensive information and an interactive map are available in several languages, and showcase the variety of Germany’s natural wonders. The GNTB has further created an interactive element called the destination finder, at www.germany.travel/enjoy, which allows the user to discover their favorite spot and share it with friends via social media channels. The campaign video www.youtube.com/germanytourism illustrates the diversity of offerings throughout Germany’s natural landscapes, including trekking, climbing, para- and hang-gliding, canoeing, mudflat hiking and wildlife watching.
Influencers such as bloggers and instagrammers, who share their favorite spots will also help to further create new user generated content. All posts related to this theme will carry the campaign hashtag #EnjoyGermanNature and will be collated on a social wall, at www.germany.travel/enjoygermannature.
The GNTB cooperates closely with partners such as EUROPARC Germany—the governing body of the national natural sites, the union for German nature parks and the marketing organizations of the federal states.
