Preliminary figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) indicate that Germany’s accommodation sector saw 47.5 million overnight stays in May 2025. This represents a 2.6% decrease compared to May of the previous year. This dip can be partly attributed to the Whitsun holidays occurring later in the year within a few federal states. While foreign visitor stays saw a bit of an increase, this overall reflects a broader trend of modest declines throughout the first five months of 2025.
May 2025: Mixed Trends in Domestic and Foreign Stays
Domestic guests accounted for approximately 40.0 million overnight stays in May 2025, marking a 3.3% reduction from the preceding year. This decline was probably influenced by the Whitsun holidays moving from May in 2024 to June in 2025 across several regions. However, international guests showed some resilience, recording 7.6 million overnight stays—a 1.5% increase from May 2024. It appears that Germany continues to draw in international travelers, despite these seasonal variances.
Year-to-Date (YTD) Performance
From January through May 2025, Germany’s accommodations reported 173.0 million overnight stays. This is about a 0.8% decrease from the record-breaking numbers seen in the same period of 2024. Domestic stays totaled 144.3 million (a 0.9% drop), and foreign stays reached 28.7 million (a slight 0.3% drop). The small, overall drop seems to indicate a stabilization of tourism demand after the especially strong performance of 2024, even though domestic travel may be facing some ongoing struggles.
Factors Behind Decline
The timing of Whitsun holidays likely had a noticeable impact on May’s decrease in stays; school breaks can often affect family travel plans. Other elements, such as changing travel inclinations or even the overall economy, might be affecting domestic tourism. On the other hand, international visitors continue to flock to Germany’s culturally significant places, festivals, and cities like Berlin and Munich, helping to support the sector.
2025 Outlook
While there has been a slight dip, Germany is still an important European tourist location, with international visitor stays showing some encouraging signs. Especially as events like Christmas markets and Oktoberfest get closer, the industry expects it could potentially bounce back. If efforts can be strategically focused on attracting more international visitors, and adapting to any changes in holiday scheduling, it could really help to stabilize and possibly boost overnight stays during the latter portion of 2025.
Germany’s tourism industry, while experiencing what may just be a small setback, is still proving its ability to adapt. It continues to balance domestic and international demands in order to keep its position as a major travel destination.