Germany to the fore
The country is becoming increasingly popular with visitors from Southeast Asia, writes Loong Wai Ting
GERMANY has become an increasingly popular holiday destination among international tourists including Malaysians, thanks to its beautiful cities, nature parks and the Alps, and, of course, its good food. Since the beginning of this year, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has been coordinating the systematic development of key emerging markets from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. Germany is the third most popular European travel destination for Malaysians, with a total of 72,000 trips in 2016.
Chun Hoy Yuen, the director of GNTB Asean, believes that more Malaysians are heading to Germany for its non-typical European holiday.
“Germany has drawn many tourists in the last 10 years due to its commitment in Chun says more M alaysians are heading to Germany for its non-typical European holiday. hosting global events like the 2006 World Cup which offers an insight into what the country is like.”
“Malaysians love Germany for its shopping and leisure activities. Those aged between 50 and 70 prefer its rich cultural heritage while the younger ones prefer to travel with their families.
“In the first half of every year, there is the karneval, a huge festival celebrated widely in Cologne in Dusseldorf, along the Rhine river. And in the summer, there are lots of festivals happening in smaller towns too which have been drawing people from all walks of life,” says Chun.
Foodies may want to keep Germany in their bucket list. Next year, in conjunction with its Culinary Germany theme, all the 16 states in the country will showcase their best culinary tradition in the most authentic way.
“We want to highlight the many different regional cooking styles and specialities of Germany, as well as the broad range of places to eat — from simple inns to gourmet restaurants. These are among the strengths of Destination Germany, says Chun. “We are supporting Germany’s positioning as a sustainable travel destination and promoting tourism in rural areas by emphasising regional and seasonal produce.”
Chun talks more about why Germany should be your next holiday destination.
WHERE DO MALAYSIAN VISITORS USUALLY GO IN GERMANY?
Malaysians mostly go to Southern Germany (Munich) and Western Germany (Frankfurt
L udwigsplatz and market, Straubing, Germany.
and Cologne). I believe this is because they are more familiar with these places, which are usually on the itinerary of travel tours. Then there is Heidelberg, a university town known to Malaysians along with the Black Forest and Southwest Bavaria, home to the Neuschwanstein, a castle built in the 19th Century.
Many people outside of Germany refer to this castle as the “Disney” castle, because of its resemblance to the castle in the Disney logo. I would recommend Berlin, formerly part of East Germany, which is not visited by many Malaysians. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, it became Germany’s capital and has since grown into a global city, with a lot going on. There are many events and it is home to numerous historical and cultural landmarks.
Dresden, just two hours from Berlin, is also a beautiful place to visit. It was all but destroyed during World War II but it has since been rebuilt.
TELL US MORE ABOUT
CULINARY GERMANY.
Here in Southeast Asia, we are looking into organising culinary events in the region to highlight German cuisine. German food isn’t just sausages, sauerkraut and beer. There are other very interesting foods like white asparagus which is available
New York.
only between the end of April till the end of June.
In the latter part of the year, you can get game like venison as well as freshwater fish, similar to trout. In autumn, seasonal mushrooms which grow in the forests are collected and cooked, while in November, geese and duck dishes are especially popular because of the cold. Then, of course, German desserts like blackforest cake, cheesecake, and fruit-based desserts are popular and available all year round.
MORE COUNTRIES ARE INTO HALAL TOURISM NOW. IS GERMANY LOOKING INTO FULFILLING THE NEEDS OF THIS MARKET?
As far as Muslim-friendly food is concerned, there is an abundance of restaurants operated by Turkish Germans, but there is no one halal standard certification for restaurants like you have here in Malaysia. I believe that given the rapid expansion of the Muslim travel market, halal food is something which German businesses can consider. I think it’s a great idea to have halal restaurants to cater to Muslim travellers. However, there are many Muslims in Germany and there are mosques, especially in big cities.