TORONTO — The German National Tourist Board says Germany Travel Mart (GTM) 2021 will be a digital event. 

The largest incoming workshop for Destination Germany is scheduled for April 27 – 29, 2021. 

The decision was made in consultation with the tourism association of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (TMV).

“The realization of the GTM 2020 in the virtual space was a measure at short notice to avoid a break in contact of our partners of Germany’s incoming tourism with international buyers and multipliers shortly after the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis,” says Petra Hedorfer, Chairwoman of the GNTB Executive Board.

She adds: “The feedback was exceedingly positive but we are very aware of the importance of personal contacts in business. Which is why we are systematically refining our marketing portfolio. During the pandemic we are focusing, wherever possible, on hybrid formats or rather virtual substitutes.” 

Tobias Woitendorf, director of the TMV, says: “Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has extensively prepared for the GTM and would have liked to welcome the tourism industry in Germany’s favourite vacation region. Covid-19 has thwarted our plans for a second time now. We regret this but are glad that we, in close partnership with the German National Tourist Board, were able to find a good alternative at an early stage. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is standing firmly as the partner region, even for the virtualGTM 2021.” 

GTM was also virtual in 2020. At the virtualGTM 2020, 450 key accounts of the international tourism industry from 49 countries used the platform to discover the products of 250 German companies from the hotel industry, the transportation sector, the leisure industry, incoming services and regional tourism organizations and negotiated for the coming year. 

Besides the business platform, participants used the information program with panel discussions and webinars with market insights on the status quo of incoming tourism in Germany with the most recent trends and developments of many partners of the German tourism industry and the recent and planned marketing campaigns of the GNTB for the next two years. 

The GNTB says that onsite evaluation among suppliers and buyers documented the track record of the new format, and that 90% of the participants said that they were satisfied/very satisfied with the GTM. Some 83% said that the GTM is a good/very good platform for business transactions, and 92% said they were able to establish new business contacts at the vGTM.