2017: The urge to travel returns

For the first time, Germany broke the 450 million mark in overnight stays. The German Tourist Association (DTV) is delighted with that record. The state of Bavaria was especially popular. Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze (2962 meters) is in the Bavarian Alps. Its new cable car to its summit will attract even more tourists in future.

The year began with a bang - a musical one - with the opening of the new Elbphilharmonie in January. Since then more than 4 million visitors have marveled at Hamburg's new landmark. The travel guide Lonely Planet declared the city on the Elbe one of its top ten destinations for 2018, so Hamburg's boom is should continue in the coming months.

Martin Luther memorial sites in Germany celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with major exhibitions and freshly-restored old towns. The investment paid off: in Wittenberg, the number of overnight stays doubled from the previous year, Eisenach registered a plus of 11 percent, and the other towns and cities associated with Luther reported more tourists from abroad.

In late October, Air Berlin ceased operations. That meant a reduction in passengers of more than 6 percent, which was reflected in a drop in occupancy levels in Berlin hotels and visitor numbers to cultural institutions. But starting in January, the British budget airline EasyJet will be strengthening its presence in the German capital, which should help tourism take off again.

The European travel market has recovered from 2016's fears of terrorism. According to the European Travel Commission, the number of international tourists in Europe rose by 8 percent. The Chinese in particular abandoned their reluctance. The growth rate from the Far East was 17 percent, followed by the US and India with 14 percent each. Good old Europe is back!

Yet again, a plus of 30 percent: for the third time in a row, Iceland posted the highest growth rate in Europe. Admittedly, the volcanic landscape with geysers and waterfalls is breathtaking, but tourist capacities on the island are limited. In 2017, a good 2.3 million tourists came to the country, whose population is only about 300,000. In the summer months hotels were almost booked solid.

A 26 percent plus! After collapsing in 2016, tourism to Turkey made a comeback. That's due especially to the return of Russian tourists; Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had earlier ended the political Ice Age. Numbers from Western Europe continue to decline, but help is approaching from the Far East: China has declared 2018 Turkey Tourism Year.

Last summer it already seemed as though there wasn't room for another single towel on Spain's beaches. But there was! Spain's tourist numbers rose again, by 11 percent. But on Mallorca, in Barcelona and elsewhere, protests by residents against the excesses of mass tourism grew: overcrowded beaches, binge drinking, congested roads, water shortages.

Slovenia, home country of US First Lady Melania Trump, enjoyed a rise in visitors of 15 percent. Melania's image smiles from plates, cups and t-shirts. There are also Melania wines, Melania cakes and Melania felt slippers on offer. So the Trump family seems to be good for tourism, though only in one central European country.

In November, the US Department of Commerce announced that in the first half of 2017, 3.9 percent fewer tourists traveled to the US than in the previous year. Bookings collapsed above all in Mexico (minus 9.4 percent), and in Arab countries (minus 30 percent), which surprised no one, given the political developments.

According to Euromonitor International, 26.6 Millionen people traveled to Hong Kong. That meant the Chinese metropolis also topped the list of most-visited cities in the world in 2017, followed by Bangkok (21 million) and London (19 million). Overall, urban tourism is the most rapidly growing segment in the travel market. The increase amounts to 16 percent.

A plus of 4.5 percent - the cruise sector also continues to grow. Here, too, however, protests are increasing - against the pollutants and masses of tourists who overrun small ports. So the message from 2017 is: growth, yes - but not at all costs. If the flow of tourists can be controlled and resources conserved, traveling in 2018 will be a pleasure.