Number of visitors from GCC to Hamburg up 3.4% in 4 months

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

Germany’s second biggest city Hamburg is becoming one of the favourite travel destinations for Gulf travellers, offering them outstanding features, from great waterfront sites, high-end shopping facilities, luxurious hotels to exquisite culinary Michelin-star restaurants.

Considered as one of the top ten tourist destinations in Europe, the Hanseatic city of Hamburg continues to attract more GCC visitors marking an increase of 3.4 per cent with 15,717 overnight stays between January and April 2019.

Hamburg is not just one of Germany’s greenest cities, but it has also has many waterfront sites, which bestow the city with a maritime flair and a pleasant climate as temperatures tend to be cooler during the increasingly hot summer months in Europe. The inner-city lake Alster with its impressive fountains and the Elbe River, which leads to the North Sea, offer a wide range of recreational and sightseeing activities. Visitors from near and far enjoy taking tours of the harbour or walks along the amazing beaches along the Elbe-River while watching huge cruise liners and container ships passing by. The famous floating dock “Landungsbrücken” and the well-known fish market, ’- are only a few further “must-sees” to consider.

For watersports fans, sailing and pedal boats, canoes and paddle boards are available for rent at numerous sports clubs and boat-rental venues located around ‘Alster’ Lake in Hamburg’s city centre, which is famous among residents and tourists.

Moreover, travellers visiting the city this September will be part of the ‘Hamburg Cruise Days’ celebration, where Hamburg harbour is transformed into Europe’s prime hot spot for cruise shipping. Taking place every two years, the ‘Hamburg Cruise Days’ event draws more than half a million visitors to the city – an amazing show which bathes Hamburg in magical blue light for four kilometres along the harbour and at its most landmarks.

The elegant and luxurious ‘Alsterhaus’ is Hamburg’s most famous department store, located along the ‘Alster’ Lake spread on five floors, offers a wide range of local and international high-quality beauty and fashion products as well as a variety of culinary choices overlooking the Alster Lake.

Located close to the Alster Lake landing pier, the Alsterarkaden is one of the city’s most visited shopping areas with its Mediterranean flair and exclusive shops. The Mellin Passage, connecting the Alsterarkaden with the ‘Neuer Wall’ shopping street, is the oldest shopping arcade in the city and home to flagship stores of luxurious brands as MCM, Cartier, Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Armani.

The elegant Galleria Passage awaits its guests at Hamburg’s most prominent shopping district to choose out of an attractive range of fashion and lifestyle products and for them to enjoy numerous restaurants and cafes situated on a beautiful view of the canal.

In the Levantehaus, all the shopping needs of visitors are met, from fashion and luxury stores to coffee shops and mouth-watering bakeries. Here, guests with unique taste will enjoy a truly remarkable experience when selecting their favourite custom-made shoes at Leila Olbrich or when letting Goldsmith H. C. Kay design their individual jewellery pieces.

Europapassage and MönckebergstrasseAnother’s shopper’s paradise can be found at the Europa Passage with 120 stores spread on five floors offering fashion brands, restaurants and a variety of retail concepts, and which is only footsteps away from Hamburg’s major shopping high street Mönckebergstrasse, where the motto is ‘shop ‘til you drop’.

The refined cuisine of double-Michelin-starred chef Thomas Martin appears to be very straight-forward on each plate. Divided into the categories of “contemporary”, “proven”, “natural” and “self-evident”, the menu sets regional French accents and Asian-inspired gems.

HaerlinTraditional French gourmet cuisine, awarded with two Michelin stars. ‘Christoph Rüffer’ and his team present modern and innovative menus based on classic French gourmet cuisine in the prestigious ‘Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten’. Those who book in advance will enjoy a window table with an outstanding view of Hamburg’s Inner Alster Lake.

The ‘Le Canard Nouveau’ on the Elbchaussee is one of the best known addresses for gourmets in Germany, where the Michelin star has successfully been kept for many years. This restaurant offers a perfect culinary experience with its exquisite creations, elegant atmosphere and outstanding view of the Elbe River.

Located directly at the Övelgönne museum harbour, the ‘white house’s appeal lies in its first-class cuisine, great ambience and genuine hanseatic flair.

Hamburg is well-connected with daily direct flights from the Gulf region. A wide choice of high-end 5-star hotels awaits travellers from the Gulf region with excellent service, exquisite culinary experiences and highest standards of comfort.