Germany's Lake District: Water tourism is gaining new momentum!

Germany's Lake District: Water tourism is gaining new momentum!

A lot has happened in water tourism in Germany in the last few weeks. The states of Berlin, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in particular have joined forces to strengthen their water tourism under the brand “Germany's Lake District”. This alliance, which has existed since 2022, was recently extended and aims to bring the wide range of water tourism offers, such as houseboating and paddling, to holidaymakers. Hogapage reports that there are over 5,000 lakes and more than 60,000 kilometers of rivers in the connected water areas, which together form Germany's largest contiguous water sports area, which can be accessed without a license for around 900 kilometers.

The initiators, including the tourism organizations visitBerlin, TMB Tourismus-Marketing Brandenburg and the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Tourism Association, agree: water tourism is not only an important economic factor, but also contributes to the quality of life in the regions. Daniel Keller, the Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor, Energy and Climate Protection in Brandenburg, highlights the added value generated by this sector. There are also plans to further revitalize water tourism through a revised website that offers tips for vacation trips and activities on the water.

A strong team for water tourism

The mayor of Berlin, Franziska Giffey, emphasizes the importance of cooperation to better plan water holidays across federal state borders. Loud Time The cooperation is intended to help make better use of the tourism potential and get people excited about the diverse water offerings.

But despite the potential, there are also challenges. So far only around 12% of holiday guests have used the water tourism offers, which indicates significant growth reserves. A study has shown that closer coordination between the three countries could attract even more people to water tourism. Defective locks and a lack of lock staff have damaged the reputation of the industry in the past, which is why there is an urgent need for action.

Water tourism in numbers

As far as the importance of water tourism is concerned, the turnover in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is estimated at around one billion euros per year. The industry currently employs over 19,000 people in marinas, rental and charter companies, and dining establishments. The trend is clear: more and more Germans are interested in water tourism. An analysis of Statista shows that around 45 million Germans prefer bathing or sun holidays and practice many different water sports.

Whether boating, sailing or fishing, spending time in or on the water is very important to many people - not only as a leisure activity, but also as an important motive for holiday travel. Cooperation between the northeastern federal states could be exactly the right way to get even more people excited about the beauties of Germany's waters and at the same time maximize the region's economic potential. There's something going on!