Saxony's tourism industry is still on the upswing after the difficult coronavirus years. "We haven't completely caught up yet, but we are on the right track," said Culture Minister Barbara Klepsch (CDU) on Thursday at the presentation of the latest tourism figures in Dresden. From January to October this year, around 6.7 million visitors came to the Free State. This is 14 percent more than in the same period last year, when hotels and restaurants were still partially closed until February due to the pandemic. However, the number of guests is still six percent below the record year of 2019.
The picture is similar for overnight stays: Almost 17 million overnight stays were booked by October 2023 - 11 percent more than in the same period last year. However, overnight stays are still 3.4 percent below the 2019 level. Forecasts assume that the Saxon tourism industry will record around 20 million overnight stays in total this year. The Christmas season with the Striezelmarkt, Christmas stollen, mountain parades in the Ore Mountains and winter sports is one of the busiest times for visitors. "Saxony is Christmas country," says Klepsch. If the 20 million mark is cracked, it would be the third strongest tourism year since 1990. "We must continue to make every effort," emphasized the minister.
