Berlin seeks tourists as Southern Europe battles overtourism
As cities like Paris, Barcelona and Rome struggle with overcrowding, anti-tourism protests and summer heatwaves, Berlin is positioning itself as a calmer, cooler alternative. The German capital is promoting its mix of cutting-edge art, Prussian palaces and world-famous techno clubs to revive a tourism sector that has lagged behind Europe’s post-pandemic rebound.
Berlin welcomed 5.9 million visitors in the first half of 2025, down 1.8% from a year earlier, with overnight stays falling 2.9% to 13.9 million, according to the Berlin-Brandenburg statistics office. Hotel occupancy stood at 52.8%, well below Madrid’s 65% and Paris’s 79%. Before the pandemic in 2019, Berlin had nearly 14 million tourists and 34 million overnight stays, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Tourism accounts for just 4.6% of Berlin’s economic output, compared with 14% in Paris and Rome and 8% in Madrid. The city relies heavily on domestic visitors, while international arrivals dropped 4.7% in the first half of this year. Industry figures partly blame Berlin’s relatively weak airport connections. Passenger volumes at BER airport rose 10.4% in 2024 to 25.5 million, but that remains far below the combined 35.7 million handled by Tegel and Schoenefeld before their closure. Ryanair has cut flights from Berlin by 20%, citing high airport costs.
Despite the slow recovery, tourism officials say Berlin has unique advantages. Maximum summer temperatures average a mild 25°C, far cooler than southern Europe’s heatwaves. “We really don’t have a problem with overtourism,” said Christian Taenzler, spokesperson for VisitBerlin. “We are a very green city, with a lot of water, swimming options and shade. I think that will gain in importance in the future.”
Still, Berlin faces challenges. Months of negative headlines about cultural cutbacks have raised concerns about the city’s appeal. The government plans to slash around €130 million from its 2025 culture budget, prompting criticism from opposition lawmakers and artists. “If the impression arises that culture is being lost, then I’ll save myself the trip to Berlin,” said Greens lawmaker Julian Schwarze.
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