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Record result in 2024: Over 1 million overnight stays for the first time
“The year 2024 was a record year for tourism in Würzburg. For the first time ever since records began, the million mark for guest overnight stays was exceeded. The city recorded 670,286 arrivals. Compared to 2023, this represents an increase of 12.4 percent, as well as 1,072,741 guest overnight stays (plus 12.2 percent),” says Björn Rudek, Tourism Director and Managing Director of Congress-Tourismus-Würzburg. The Bavarian State Office for Statistics records guest overnight stays in establishments with ten or more beds or parking spaces.
The effects of the pandemic have long been overcome, but while the number of overnight stays in 2023 was still 2 percent below the previous record of 2019, 2024 has now exceeded this result by around 10 percent. “Due to increased costs in all areas, however, the impressive development in overnight stays is not equivalent to a corresponding increase in the operating result of Würzburg’s tourism industry. The euro is harder to earn than before the pandemic,” Rudek emphasizes in this context.
Guests from Germany accounted for the largest share of overnight stays last year, at just over 85% (913,466, +11.4%). Guests from abroad accounted for 14.8% of all overnight stays, an increase of 17.2% compared to the previous year. Würzburg was able to grow in all important foreign markets. The Netherlands remained the strongest foreign source market in 2024 with 25,486 overnight stays (+18.4%). This was the best annual result from this country to date. This was followed by the USA with 16.401 overnight stays (+ 21.6 %), Switzerland with 13.024 overnight stays (+ 9.8 %), Austria with 11.607 overnight stays (+ 3.3 %) and the UK with 9.240 overnight stays (+ 1.3 %). The number of overnight stays by visitors from China (4 954, + 92%) and Japan (2 313, + 35.4%) rose sharply in comparison with 2023. Due to reduced flight capacity and a restrictive visa policy for Chinese guests, the pre-pandemic level has not yet been reached.
In 2024, Würzburg also benefited from strong visitor demand compared with the rest of Germany. The increase relates to private holiday travel as well as business travel and overnight stays in connection with congresses and conferences. Contrary to fears in the years of the pandemic, Würzburg was able to maintain its strong position as a popular congress location. An increase in the number of overnight stays by tour groups is encouraging. These guests are increasingly using Würzburg as a base for excursions to the Franconian wine region. The increase in the number of foreign visitors is also particularly positive and underlines the attractiveness of Würzburg. The number of overnight stays by visitors to the European Football Championship venues should also be mentioned here.
Especially in times of economic uncertainty, tourism proves to be an important pillar of the regional economy. It creates and secures local jobs and is a win-win situation for the city and its inhabitants. For example, in the year 2023, tourism in Würzburg will generate a gross turnover of around 670 million euros. New hotel openings will increase the number of beds in Würzburg by almost 24% between 2019 and 2024. This has laid the foundations for further growth in the coming years, as capacity was insufficient in the months of April to June and September/October, which are particularly popular for congresses.
Christoph Unckell, managing director of Best Western Premier Hotels Rebstock: “As a hotelier, I am delighted with the positive annual results of Würzburg Tourism. However, the local tourism industry cannot rest on its laurels. Our challenges are manifold: we are struggling with higher costs and lower margins, and we have to compete in an increasingly difficult environment. One of the things we would like to see in the future is more intensive use of the Residenzplatz for high-calibre concerts, which in the summer months attract a solvent audience to Würzburg, benefiting the hotel, restaurant and retail sectors equally.
Claudia Amberger-Berkmann, District Chairwoman of DEHOGA Bavaria in Würzburg, adds: “In addition to additional cultural events in the off-season, the Würzburg hotel industry considers the further development of the event infrastructure to be urgently necessary. The planned multifunctional arena in particular is an important impulse for us to jointly promote Würzburg as a tourist destination. Especially in the growing segment of cultural and gourmet travel, Würzburg can play out its strengths and its lifestyle well, and it is only to be hoped that our guests will be able to take a little time out and enjoy beautiful moments in Würzburg”.
Tourism Director Björn Rudek: “The challenging political and economic environment makes it difficult to give a serious forecast for 2025. It is to be hoped that the situation in the industry will stabilise. The international consensus is that 2025 could be one of the most exciting years for tourism. The current level of advance bookings in all areas of tourism gives us cause for optimism, especially in view of the fact that Würzburg clearly confirmed its strong position as a city and cultural destination last year. It fills us with pride to see that Würzburg is among the TOP 10 of German city tourism in travel analyses conducted by those surveyed.
Further information:
Björn Rudek, Tel. 09 31/37 23 33
E-Mail: bjoern.rudek@stadt.wuerzburg.de
Grant for DGfE conference
At the Tourism Day on 14. November 2024 the first grant within the framework of the newly created congress initiative for the Bavarian tourism industry – and it goes to Würzburg! We are very pleased that the annual meeting of the German Society of Epileptology (DGfE) will take place in our city and will support the organisers in their preparations.
F. l.: Julia Heyer (Conference Agency Conventus), Dr. Jürgen Böhner (DGfE) und State Minister Michaela Kaniber (Photo: © Judith Schmidhuber/StMELF)
“We are supporting the German Society of Epileptology, which will hold its four-day annual meeting in Würzburg in 2026, with 27,500 euros. “said the Minister.
Grants can be applied for by the congress organiser itself or by an organisation acting on its behalf (PCO, agency, etc.).
More Information on the Bavarian Congress Initiative:
Carmen Brauckhoff, Tel. 0049 931 / 37 37 99
Congress Fund for Bavaria
The Bavarian State Minister for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism, Michaela Kaniber, presented a new congress fund in February. This was launched in July with a funding volume of around 25 million euros and a duration of five years.
Grants can be applied for by the congress organisers themselves or by an organisation (PCO, agency, etc.) acting on their behalf.
- Eligible events are closed events with at least 300 participants and a duration of at least two days.
- Project executing organization is Bayern Innovativ (Bayerische Gesellschaft für Innovation und Wissenstransfer mbH)
- Since 22. July Applications can be submitted online at antrag.kongressinitiative.bayern.
- Upper limit of 5,000 participants and a duration of five days
- Funding is available for congresses and conferences taking place until the end of 2029
More Information about the bavarian congress fund:
Carmen Brauckhoff, Tel. 0049 931 / 37 37 99
Würzburg's former Mozart high school (MOZ)
Under the name “Mozartareal”, it enriches urban society and its guests with a multi-layered utilization concept – as a place of art, culture and dialogue that is open to everyone through exhibitions, concerts, lectures and other events.
Background: The Mozart-Gymnasium was a municipal grammar school near the Würzburg Residenz – in the heart of the city. The building with its flawless 1950s aesthetics initially stood empty for several years. Bavaria’s State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments and referendums ultimately led to the complete preservation of the building in 2018, with refurbishment in line with listed building standards. The “windmill wing” was acquired by a bank. New apartments were built in a second part. The central “horseshoe” remained in the possession of the city of Würzburg. From summer 2024, the modernized building will be used by the University of Music, the municipal singing and music school, for exhibitions and as the headquarters of the Mozart Festival Office. The stylishly renovated auditorium of the Mozartareal and the publicly accessible foyer can be hired for cultural and private events such as conferences, presentations or lectures. The team of architects was able to preserve most of the soul and expressive design language of the 1950s – and make it fit and barrier-free for the future! You will soon be able to visit this aesthetic gem at Maxstrasse 2 – for example as part of an exhibition and also book it for your own event.
More Information:
Hannes Möller, Tel. 0049 931 / 37 33 72
Bachelor Culinary and Wine Tourism
The THWS Business School offers six Bachelor’s and four Master’s degree programs in Würzburg. New: the Culinary and Wine Tourism (B.A.) course starting in the winter semester 2025/26. The Business School focuses on internationality and practical relevance.
The Culinary and Wine Tourism degree program responds to the global trend of making tourism more sustainable. With a focus on culture, cuisine and business, it provides holistic knowledge for the development of innovative travel offers. The aim is to create a balance between the needs of travelers and locals.
https://business.thws.de/studierende/studiengaenge/bachelor-kulinarik-und-weintourismus/
More Information:
Natja Schmitt, THWS Business School, Tel. 0049 931 / 3511-8929
Sustainable action at the Congress Centrum Würzburg
The Maritim Hotel Würzburg, as operator of the CCW, is committed to the German Convention Bureau guidelines www.fairpflichtet.de and is actively committed to complying with the sustainability code of the event industry on corporate responsibility in the areas of economy, ecology and social issues.
Here you can find out what measures the Maritim Hotel Würzburg has taken on the subject of sustainability
in the areas of energy, water, waste, catering and guests & employees.
https://www.maritim.de/Flyer_Fact_Sheet_Green.pdf
More information about sustainability:
Carmen Brauckhoff, Tel. 0049 931 / 37 37 99
CO2 calculator for events
In order to hold climate-neutral events, their CO2 emissions must be calculated or estimated. The Federal Environment Agency provides a special CO2 calculator for this purpose, which can be used to determine the emissions of events online free of charge in just a few steps.
Photo: Martin Stallmann / Umweltbundesamt