Saudi Gazette RIYADH — Participants at the "exclusive ladies evening" dedicated to luxury travel in Germany, organized by the German National Tourist Board last Nov.10 at the Ritz Carlton – Riyadh, were apprised of the rich and diverse opportunities of luxury travel to Germany, and had the opportunity to connect with others during a fashion show and exchanged experiences and expectations. At the event dubbed "Ladies Lounge 2016", guests were also briefed about the offers of Lufthansa Airlines, offering insight to the distinctive prospects of the no. 1 travel destination for tourists from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Within the past 9 years, the number of tourists from Saudi Arabia to Germany had tripled. Maria Amaral, Director of Marketing & Sales Office for Gulf countries, and Constanze Hilgers, Director International Market SME and Tourism Industry Relations of the German National Tourist Office, emphasized the great variety of luxurious travel opportunities in Germany. Fadia Assouny, Key Account Manager Kuwait of Lufthansa German Airlines, showcased the latest offers of traveling in style to Germany by Lufthansa Airlines, which is known as one of the world's leading premium airlines. The guests were also introduced to the City of Munich and the Southwest of Germany, which hosts a unique tourism cluster. Jasmin Klaus, Sales and Tourism Manager of the Outlet city Metzingen, emphasized that the vast shopping opportunities at Outlet City Metzingen is one of the largest shopping cities in Germany with more than 3 million guests arriving from more than 185 countries per year. The German National Tourist Board came to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In an interview with Hilgers, she shared her thoughts on the issue of tourism in the Kingdom, as well as Saudi families visiting Germany. Hilgers said "families from Saudi Arabia usually want to travel to places that are comfortable and have everything available nearby, thus the female member of the family makes this decision. This Ladies Lounge is a good way of spreading views and news among the Gulf states." She also spoke about the most popular attractions for Saudis in Germany, saying "Saudi families love theme parks, and in Germany, we have over 70 theme parks. One of the most popular is Europa-Park which is the largest in Germany and the second most popular theme park resort in Europe as it is close to the border of France." She noted that most Saudi tourists fly to Munich and Frankfurt due to the easy flight connections. Bavaria, with its beautiful landscape and historical sites and Munich are the strongest magnets for visitors from Saudi Arabia besides Dusseldorf which is famous for shopping. Stylish architecture is the signature of Berlin. She stressed that Germany and Saudi Arabia share many things in common, including customs and traditions. Both nations enjoy culinary arts and both nations are very rich in archeology as Saudi Arabia has four sites inscribed on the World Heritage List. Germany has 41 UNESCO heritage sites, which is the highest number in Europe. Both countries share the passion of preserving and maintaining heritage and archeology for future generations. When asked about what makes Germany stand out in tourism, she explained that "visiting Germany is a lifetime experience because it has everything for everyone's taste. We have the Alps and a variety of snowy mountains, The Zugspitze, the highest peak of the Wetter Stein Mountain which is the highest mountain in Germany. From the peak of this mountain, four countries are visible at the same time. We also have the Ore Mountain which is a long terrain of lush green and natural landscape. Moreover, Germany also boasts of black forests." Hilgers highlighted some of the key facts about Saudi tourists in Germany, such as most families stay for about a fortnight spending under €5,000 during their stay and most of the tourists are middle aged from about 35-50 years of age. Commenting on the Saudi tourism industry, she said "the Kingdom has also beautiful natural resources with its vast desert and the archeological sites. Moreover, it is very rich in customs and traditions which can attract visitors from all over the world." Germany is known for innovation and high quality products. It is a country that is proud of having the best of everything from top-rated luxury properties, world-class cuisine to the unique and personalized luxury shopping experiences that meet the needs of every guest. The event was hosted by the German National Tourist Board and co-hosted by Lufthansa German Airlines in cooperation with participating partners: GESALO, South West Germany, Munich Airport, Munich City, and Outlet City Metzigen hand-selected guests were invited to experience Germany as a destination for luxury travel.
