An Analysis of the German Tourism System

Running head: TOURISM SYSTEMS ANALYSIS 1
An Analysis of the German Tourism System
[Student’s Name]
[Institution]
[Instructor]

TOURISM SYSTEMS ANALYSIS 2
Introduction
Germany is among the leading European tourism destinations. Over the years, the
country has grown to be acknowledged as a leader in the sense of business and leisure travel.
Between the years 2009 and 2013, Germany’s tourism sector has seen rapid growth, and
according to the Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism, Germany is among the safest travel
destinations across the globe (Mayer et al., 2010). The German tourism sector contributes to
approximately 8% of the total GDP, and is among the country’s most important economic
industries (Skanavis & Sakellari, 2011). This sector is supported by domestic tourism, which
contributes a great part in the overall German tourism industry.
Key Stakeholders
 Germany is a centralized state. To that end, the Federal Government is responsible for
ensuring appropriate tourism policy within the destination (Mayer et al., 2010). The
country’s sixteen states nurture their tourism development and shape and promote their
tourism industries.
 Other stakeholders include the Federal-Länder-Committee on Tourism, which provides
with a primary platform for tourism cooperation;
 The Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, who leads the tourism policies
within the German Government;
 Federal Government’s Commissioner for Tourism, responsible for organizing tourism
policies within the German parliament and government, and with the Tourism
Committee;

TOURISM SYSTEMS ANALYSIS 3
 The Advisory Council on Issues of Tourism, responsible for reconciling the interests of
the government, academia, commerce, and also for supporting the Federal Minister for
Economic and Energy (Matias et al., 2009).
Major Elements
Being a dynamic and extremely competitive industry, tourism requires adaptation
instincts to the constantly changing desires and needs of consumers. Two key elements are
instrumental in tourism. They are the direct and indirect elements. Direct elements are the areas
in tourism that are in straight contact with tourists (Matias et al., 2009). They include attractions,
accommodation, transport, and sales. The indirect elements are not in direct contact with tourists.
They include infrastructure, communications, among other. For Germany, the key tourism
elements are culture and nature.
The country boasts of numerous landscapes, a majority of which are natural. The diverse
and unique flora and fauna in the country provides tourists with an unforgettable experience. The
country has approximately 98 nature parks (Matias et al., 2009). Germany also has a rich culture
which derives its influences from countries such as Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Czech Republic,
Poland, Switzerland, and Netherlands. The aforementioned cultures have helped in shaping the
contemporary German Culture (Skanavis & Sakellari, 2011).
For Germany, additional tourism elements include interconnectedness of the
stakeholders; communication; characteristics of the key players in the industry; support from key
stakeholders; participatory approach; as well as continuous advancements (Fischer & Gil-Alana,
2009).
Relationships Between Stakeholders and Elements