Chicago – August 21, 2025
As many southern European cities grow tired of tourists, Berlin is pitching itself as an antidote to the crowds, blistering heatwaves and anti-tourism protests causing problems elsewhere.
The German capital is promoting its cutting-edge art scene, Prussian palaces and famed techno clubs to boost a tourism sector that has lagged behind the post-pandemic boom seen in other parts of Europe.
“We really don’t have a problem with overtourism,” said Christian Taenzler, spokesperson for the VisitBerlin tourism board. “The city is large and people spread out. Especially in summer, when Berliners are away, there’s quite a lot of space.”
Berlin – home to about 4 million people – drew 5.9 million visitors in the first half of the year, accounting for 13.9 million overnight stays, according to the Berlin-Brandenburg statistics office. That marks a fall of 1.8% and 2.9% respectively from a year earlier.
Hotel occupancy averaged 52.8% during the same period, lagging Madrid’s 65% and 79% in Paris, cities where tourism has rebounded more quickly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2019, before the pandemic, Berlin drew nearly 14 million tourists, with 34 million overnight stays.
Tourism generated 4.6% of Berlin’s output in 2023, including indirect effects, according to the estimates of a DIW Econ study.
In comparison, tourism accounts for roughly 14% of the local economy in Paris and Rome, and 8% in Madrid, and Berlin is more reliant on cost-conscious German travellers.
Meanwhile, international arrivals fell by 4.7% in the first half.
