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Weapons ban on all trains, buses and stations from Thursday
The police have recently recorded more and more crimes involving knives. Threats are often made, sometimes stabbed. Stricter regulations should help. more
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Around 12.7 million people visited the German capital last year.
That was around five per cent more tourists than in 2023, according to the tourism association Visit Berlin. For the first time since 2019, the hospitality industry recorded more than 30 million overnight stays. "Together with London and Paris, Berlin is Europe's magnet for city and cultural tourism," said Managing Director Burkhard Kieker.
International visitors drove this growth. According to Visit Berlin, around 42 per cent of travellers to Berlin came from abroad. Last year, the proportion was just over a third. The most important countries of origin are the UK and the Netherlands. German visitors primarily come from the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. This was the result of a long-term survey conducted by the company among around 1,700 tourists between May 2023 and April 2024, according to which the guests were 40.3 years old on average and therefore younger than the national average for other cities (44 years).
Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey (SPD) is confident that more people will visit the capital again this year. "There are also many highlights in store for 2025 that will attract visitors to the city alongside Berlin's perennial favourites, such as the innovative tech trade fair Gitex Europe or the NFL football matches," she said. The American Football League is planning to host a game in the capital in 2025. The date is not yet known.