Bremen sets new tourism milestone once more

Bremen, Germany, is experiencing a surge in tourism, with the city recording a new record of 1,151,018 overnight stays in the first half of 2025. This represents a 1.1% increase from the same period in 2024.

The tourism industry in Bremen contributed to around 1.8 billion euros in turnover. Over 80% of all overnight stays were booked by guests from Germany, while the United States had the second most foreign guests with 18,974 overnight stays, an increase of 28.5%. The Netherlands had the most foreign guests with 33,415 overnight stays, but this number decreased by 8.3%. Belgium had the third most foreign guests with 14,693 overnight stays, an increase of 59.2%.

One of the key factors contributing to this growth is the city's focus on various tourist attractions and themes. Oliver Rau, the head of tourism in Bremen, is responsible for the tourism strategy draft for Bremen until 2030. The new strategy paper is expected by November 2025 and focuses on topics such as art and culture, enjoyment, knowledge and experience worlds, strengthening the "Green City on the River" theme, digitalization, and sustainability.

Several events held in the first half of 2025 also played a significant role in attracting tourists. The 'TurnUp BRMN' festival was held on the Bürgerweide, the ADFC bike congress was held in Bremen, and the 'we transform future' event was implemented, targeting the congress industry.

Upcoming tourist highlights in Bremen include the Music Festival, Freimarkt, Christmas Market, major special exhibitions at the Universum, Übersee-Museum, and Kunsthalle Bremen. These events, along with the Space Tec Expo, Europe's largest space event, and the GFNY Bremen cycling race, could potentially make 2025 a record-breaking year for tourism.

Moreover, the city's efforts to make residents aware of the city's advantages through campaigns such as "My Bremen is real" and the large nationwide campaign under the motto "Next stop: Bremen" have also contributed to the increase in tourism. In addition, over thirty journalists visited Bremen and reported positively in the first half of 2025.

The Ministerial Council of the European Space Agency (ESA) will decide on Europe's future in space in Bremen from November 26 to 27, further boosting the city's profile and attracting more tourists.

As the city continues to develop its tourism strategy up to 2030, Bremen is set to remain a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists.