After continuous growth Leipzig registered an improvement of 4.5% in arrivals over the first half of 2015, and an increase of 5.1% in overnight stays. The average length of stay on the part of guests also rose. This amounted to 1.9 days, as against 1.8 days in the first half of 2015.
These figures are a clear indication that Leipzig continues to be a highly popular destination. If the current trend continues, the mark of 3 million overnight stays could be exceeded this year. This would mean that the figure has nearly doubled over the last 10 years. At a take-up rate of 66.9% of the available guest accommodation, Leipzig registers the highest value in Saxony by some considerable distance. Dresden (57.4 %) and Chemnitz (50.2 %) follow in 2nd and 3rd place.
Volker Bremer, Head of Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing (LTM) GmbH, is delighted by the growth: "The increase in visitors to this extent has significantly exceeded our expectations. It places Leipzig at the peak of Saxony's cities and regions. This is quite something if we consider that Chemnitz (-9.0 %), for example, or Dresden (-0.2 %) have registered a fall in overnight stays."
The growth in overnight stays applies to both domestic and foreign visitors. Visitors from abroad account for 15.5% of overall overnight stays. Most of the foreign guests come from Great Britain (20,446), the USA (20,079) and Switzerland (19,726).
In the first half of 2016 the largest number of foreign guests came from the following countries
- Great Britain 20,446 overnight stays +23.4 %
- USA 20,079 overnight stays +6.5 %
- Switzerland 19,726 overnight stays +9.1 %
- Austria 16,477 overnight stays +4.7 %
- Netherlands 14,249 overnight stays +20.0 %
- Poland 10,129 overnight stays -35.8 %
- Italy 8,742 overnight stays +6.7 %
- France 8,145 overnight stays -6.1 %
- Spain 7,294 overnight stays -10.7 %
- Belgium 6,156 overnight stays +22.4 %
- Russia 6,104 overnight stays +8.2 %