March 1, 2021

Culture helps Saxony retain its appeal… even in crisis times

With its wealth of cultural attractions and outstanding landscapes, tourism in Saxony showed stronger resilience than many other destinations in 2020, despite the pandemic.

With over 20.7m overnight stays (up 3.7%) and almost 8.5m arrivals (up 3.3%), Saxony achieved a tourism record in 2019. Particularly noteworthy was then the more than 2.2 million overnight stays from abroad. Saxony thus achieved by far the largest volume of international overnight stays in eastern Germany.

From spring 2020, the Corona pandemic generated a decline in Saxon tourism, as it did everywhere else. However, when looking at the tourism evolution from May and during the summer following the first lockdown, Saxony fared rather well in these turbulent times. Over 4.6 million tourists (-35%) came to the Free State between January and the end of October 2020, generating just under 12.8 million overnights (-27.4%). This is a far better achievement than the national average. August was particularly good with 740,000 arrivals and more than two million overnights.

Saxony, Germany’s top cultural destination
The secret to Saxony tourism’s resilience is its unique combination of art treasures and natural wonders. Thanks to its rich heritage, Saxony is Germany’s number one cultural travel destination. Buildings bearing witness to a thousand years of architecture, historic cities, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the “Ore Mountains and Mining Region” and “Muskau Park” -, outstanding musical tradition, art treasures from churches and monasteries or traditional crafts, all contribute to Saxony’s cultural appeal.

The scenic attractions of the Mittelgebirge ranges, or the winding rivers also seduce many holidaymakers. They invite one to go hiking, cycling, mountain biking and climbing. Traditional health resorts offer high-quality wellness and health holidays, while there are plenty of family-friendly and barrier-free holiday offers.

Culture helps Saxony retain its appeal... even in crisis times

 

 


Saxony is the Official Culture Destination of ITB Berlin NOW 2021. The most important meeting point for immersing in Saxony’s cultural offerings is the digital Culture Café from 9-12/3/21 with interviews, videos, music and presentations.

Culture helps Saxony retain its appeal... even in crisis times