Tourism in Berlin - statistics & facts
Berlin’s vibrant community, historic sites, and legendary techno scene, part of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list, all helped make the city one of the leading European travel destinations in 2023. That year, Berlin had more overnight stays than any other German city, with visitors spending over 10 million more nights than in Munich or Hamburg. The international popularity of Berlin’s nightlife and attractions also appeals to less traditional travelers, with the German capital being the fourth most visited city by digital nomads worldwide in 2024, ahead of Lisbon, Paris, and Barcelona. Also, while it wasn’t top of the list, Berlin ranked among the most visited destinations in Europe by inbound tourists.
Although inbound tourism has yet to catch up with pre-pandemic levels, Berlin’s cultural appeal remains strong. A challenge in the future will be to maintain this reputation among younger generations, as Berlin featured way behind other European cities like London and Paris in a ranking of most popular global travel destinations on TikTok in 2024.
What nationalities visit Berlin the most?
In 2023, international visits to the city grew over the previous year, exceeding four million and accounting for roughly a third of all tourist arrivals in Berlin. However, these figures still did not reach pre-pandemic levels. While this was the case with many of Berlin’s leading inbound travel markets, like the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Netherlands, Poland was the exception, with a 24 percent increase in arrivals compared to 2019. Similarly, a breakdown of the number of overnight stays in Berlin by country showed that key international markets like Spain and Italy were way below their pre-pandemic figures in 2023, whereas nights spent by Polish travelers peaked at over 600,000.What are Berlin’s most visited tourist attractions?
Iconic public landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate, the East Side Gallery, and the Fernsehturm at Alexanderplatz, are all integral to Berlin’s cultural identity. While these attractions have millions of visitors a year, they are not all that the city has to offer. The Museum Island, for instance, is one of the biggest European museum complexes and is home to the most visited state museums in Berlin, including the Pergamon Museum and the Neues Museum, which reported over 700,000 and 660,000 visits in 2023, respectively. However, it was not a museum or a gallery that proved to be the city’s most popular attraction; it was actually the city’s zoo. In 2023, the number of visitors to the Berlin Zoological Garden reached a record of nearly four million.Although inbound tourism has yet to catch up with pre-pandemic levels, Berlin’s cultural appeal remains strong. A challenge in the future will be to maintain this reputation among younger generations, as Berlin featured way behind other European cities like London and Paris in a ranking of most popular global travel destinations on TikTok in 2024.
