TORONTO — Germany welcomed a record number of visitors from January through November 2015, the sixth record-breaking year in a row, according to the German National Tourist Board (GNTB).

According to the latest information from the Federal Statistical Office, the volume of international overnights in accommodation properties of at least 10 beds grew to 74.2 million overnights through November, an increase of 5.6% compared with the same period in 2014.

“Even compared with other European destinations, Germany’s incoming numbers scored an above average result,” said GNTB CEO Petra Hedorfer. “According to the latest estimates by Eurostat, the number of international overnights in EU countries will grow by an average of 3.5%. With our prognosis of 5.7%, we are well above this value and also rank above all other big tourism destinations.”

Antje Splettstoesser, Director Marketing & Sales for the German National Tourist Office in Canada, said Canadian visitor numbers are also trending up. “Germany’s Federal Statistical Office recorded a 3.5% incoming growth from Canada for January through the end of November of last year. This is a very encouraging result,” she said. “Looking forward to the continuing wonderful industry support we have always enjoyed in Canada, we expect to maintain the momentum for travel to Destination Germany, this year.”

There’s ‘cautious optimism’ for 2016; some uncertainty informs the start of this year, said Hedorfer. “Destination Germany, as an internationally popular brand with its outstanding infrastructure and excellent value-for-money offerings is predestined to continue its growth history in the international competition in a sustainable manner,” said Hedorfer. “However, economic uncertainties in many markets and the threat of terrorism attacks dampen the wanderlust. Furthermore, negative impacts of the refugee situation are recorded in some source markets. Therefore, we believe that a growth rate of 1 – 3% is realistic for 2016.”