A Tale of Two Cities

visitBerlin and the Vienna Tourist Board teamed up to host an industry luncheon yesterday in Toronto in a cross-promotion highlighting the two great European cities of Berlin and Vienna.

The two cities make for an ideal two-stop vacation, with visitBerlin’s Kirsten Schmidt saying the cities are “different, but complement each other very well.”

Berlin is coming off a record year for tourism in 2015, surpassing the 30 million mark for overnight stays and hosting a record 12.37 million guests, including more than 150,000 Canadians, up 10.7% from 2014.

The German capital launched a new slogan at this year’s ITB – “Berlin 365/24” showcasing all the city has to offer, with more than 1,500 events taking place daily.

“There’s no closing time,” noted Schmidt. “You don’t have to plan around events, when you go there will be something going on.”
She added that Berlin is forever changing and remains a cultural giant in Europe, boasting thousands of museums and galleries, special exhibitions, new attractions and special anniversaries.

Berlin has more hotels than New York City and will see another 1,200-plus rooms open this year.

Vienna, described as a city that looks like a living museum, is also boasting strong visitor numbers and although a city steeped in history is fast becoming a “hot spot for contemporary design and art.”

Helena Hartlauer of the Vienna Tourist Board noted that history and culture are abundant, as are numerous special events and exhibitions for 2016.

Pictured at the event are Schmidt (l) and Hartlauer.