Germany to highlight Wellness and Spas in 2011

The German Travel Mart (GTM) in Mainz and Frankfurt am Main turned out to be a major success for the organizer, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) and the host cities of Mainz and Frankfurt, despite serious transportation disruption due to the volcanic ashes blocking Europe’s airspace. Health and fitness as well as medical tourism will take the limelight on Germany’s tourism stage in 2011 with 125 Years of the Automobile, the FIFA Soccer Women’s World Cup and the 200th anniversary of Franz Liszt playing important supporting roles.

The 36th GTM took place in Mainz, a city that well represents some of the contrasts that make Germany’s culture so fascinating. Only 45 minutes from Frankfurt, Mainz connects the ancient with the contemporary, you can visit the Roman settlements from 2,000 years ago, indulge your curiosity with the printing press that Gutenberg invented in the 15th century and revel in the annual Carnival parade that reveals the region’s propensity for fun and satire.  www.touristik-mainz.de

For 2011, the GNTB’s three pronged approach to health and fitness includes spas and health resorts, wellness and beauty hotels and medical tourism. The campaign will showcase Germany’s modern and cutting-edge facilities, luxury hotels, spas and spa-towns. This is sure to sit well with Americans who value active and affordable vacations with a cultural twist and a dab of indulgence. The campaign will highlight the top clinics for international patients as well as the tourist attractions of the nearby towns and cities. www.germany.travel

More than 400,000 tourists already visit Germany for health-oriented vacations and this number is growing. From traditional Kneipp treatments to Aryuveda therapy, German facilities offer a wide range for every taste, combining unique locally sourced remedies with innovative therapies. In the special segment of medical tourism German clinics are renowned for their excellent quality and reasonable prices, already treating 70,000 international clients per year.

While 2010 is a stunning year in Germany with such fascinating events from the Ruhr2010 as the European Capital of Culture, the 300th anniversary of porcelain in Meissen, the 41st Passion Play in Oberammergau and the 200th anniversary of the Oktoberfest, next year promises to be no less exciting. One highlight will be the 125th anniversary of the automobile in Germany, celebrating the first car invented by Carl Benz in 1886. During the summer of next year, the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, home to Mercedes to Porsche, will celebrate with 125 days of events. www.automobilsommer2011.de

Another big event will be the Women's Soccer World Cup from June 26 to July 17. "The men's World Cup in 2006 proved to great effect how an event of this kind can improve the international perception of Germany over a number of years. The women's World Cup now gives us the opportunity to build on Germany's image as a cosmopolitan and family-friendly destination with an outstanding infrastructure - and this is an opportunity that we will exploit to the full," said the GNTB’s CEO Petra Hedorfer. The event will be held in nine German cities with the opening ceremony in Berlin and the final in Frankfurt.  www.germany.travel

Also in 2011, Germany will celebrate the 200th birthday of one of the world’s musical geniuses, the composer Franz Liszt. While born in Hungary, Liszt spend some of his most productive years in the cultural center of Weimar in Thuringia, also home to Goethe, Schiller Bach. Liszt died in the Wagner-town of Bayreuth in northern Bavaria. Over 200 events throughout Germany are planned with one of the highlights being the "Liszt Festival" in Weimar from June 23 to July 9, 2011.e www.thueringen-tourismus.de