Berlin—A City Reborn

Berlin is one of the initiate cities of WTCF and the Director Market Management of Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH, Ralf Ostendorf, is at the same time the Deputy Secretary-General of WTCF. Ostendorf has offered many constructive suggestions and great support to the work of WTCF.

Q=World Tourism Cities Magazine A= Ralf Ostendorf, Director Market Management of Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH

Q: First of all, we offer congratulations on the establishment of Germany comprehensive cultural center, the Humboldt Forum, in Berlin. How would you describe the original intention, process of construction, main function (activities) of the center? And what's the influence on tourism in Berlin?

A: Berlin was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War and after that both West and East Berlin were re-built. After the reunification of Germany 25 years ago the city of Berlin again changed its face and now is a modern world city with unique old and new architecture, but the cityis still changing. It is important for Berlin to remember the past and give the past a modern appearance. The Humboldt Forum which is being built at the place where the Berlin City Palace used to be before the Second World War and then the seat of the Parliament from the former GDR after the City Palace was destroyed is a project that brings back the former City Palace in a historical facade with a modern building inside.

The Humboldt Forum is designed to do justice to the diversity and values of world cultures. Part of this concept includes acknowledging the site’s own history. From its early days as the residence of the Hohenzollern through to the Palace of the Republic, the events that give this place its historical charge will be brought to life for visitors by a presentation organized by the Berlin Palace–Humboldt Forum Foundation.

The Forum will exhibit the unique non-European collections of its National Museums in Berlin on the second and third floors. Occupying the first floor, the ‘Workshops of Knowledge’, will be the intellectual archives of these museums, parts of which are classified as UNESCO World Heritage assets. They will be joined by the Humboldt University’s Humboldt-Lab and the exhibition World·City·Berlin by the Federal State of Berlin and thus become another highlight to be visited by tourists from all over the world.

Q: As a world renowned city, Berlin is rich in historical, cultural and economic resources. Could you introduce the tourism market of Berlin to us?

A: Berlin is still the top destination for international guests coming to Germany and, alongside London and Paris, is one of the three most popular destinations in all of Europe. In 2014, some twelve million tourists came to Berlin, spending 28.7 million nights in the city’s hotels. The number of arrivals and overnight stays has more than doubled since 2004, a development not seen in any other of Europe’s major cities.

Berlin today is like a shining star among all European cities with its unique living history, lifestyle, very diverse culture and many tourist attractions. The biggest advantage of Berlin compared to other European cities is that it is still changing and re-inventing itself, even 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Berlin today has the most modern hotel industry in Europe, no official closing hours when it comes to nightlife and an attractive international (the capital is one of the most multicultural cities in Germany. About 457,000 of the 3.5 million Berliners have a foreign passport. More than 190 nationalities are permanently resident in the city, a fact reflected in Berlin’s culinary and cultural diversity. The city, a travel destination 12 months a year that is at the same time the German Capital, but also an open, very relaxed, and welcoming European metropolis that attracts more and more people from all over the world.

In 2006, the German capital was awarded the title “UNESCO City of Design”, while UNESCO has also designed three World Heritage Sites in Berlin. In addition to the Museum Island and the Prussian royal palaces and gardens, Berlin’s Modernist housing estates received the designation in 2008.

Those who need to keep a close eye on their travel budget will hit the jackpot in Germany’s capital: there’s hardly any other city in Europe where overnight accommodations are as affordable as in Berlin. While guests in Berlin pay on average €88 for a double room, they can expect to pay 50 percent more for a similar hotel room in Paris or London.

The exciting history of Berlin cannot be measured in rankings, but any visitor to Berlin will find plenty of traces both inside and outside the city’s many museums. For example, at 1,316 metres, the East Side Gallery is both the longest open-air gallery in the world and the longest stretch of the Berlin Wall still standing. It features 101 works painted by 118 artists from 21 countries shortly after the Wall fell, with many of the artists returning in 2009 to renew their artwork.

Q: Festivals and events like Berlin International Film Festival and Die Berliner Philharmoniker in der Waldbühne have attracted many professionals and tourists from all over the world. Berlin International Film Festival is loved by the Chinese people and on the festival the Chinese film makers are recognized by the world. How did Berlin build such events and festivals to attract tourists?

A: Entertainment always has been part of Berlin city life over the centuries, thanks to the reunification Berlin has three opera houses, 8 symphony orchestras and many creative people are living in Berlin and are moving to Berlin because of the positive energy of the city and always come up with new event concepts etc.

The most important probably is that everything is authentic in Berlin and has developed somehow by itself. The Film Festival and other events are no artificial products and have not been installed like a Disneyland to entertain guests.

Q: How do you think of the Chinese outbound travel market? Will Berlin offer more preferential policies to attract Chinese tourists?

A: China will continue to become an even more important outbound travel market for destinations from all over the world. We will continue to invest in our Berlin promotions in China with B2B but also with more B2C activities. We already have our Chinese website www.laibolin.com, and are using Weibo and WeChat to inform about Berlin. And of course we always are working on new marketing strategies and are observing the Chinese market very closely.

Photos / Quanjing